Northwestern University Athletics
No. 12 Wildcats Host Western Illinois in Mid-Week Matchup
10/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 31, 2007
NU Men's Soccer Game Notes vs. Western Illinois in PDF Format 
EVANSTON, Ill. -
No. 12 Northwestern opens it final week of regular season play Wednesday as it hosts Western Illinois in men's soccer action at Lakeside Field. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. The Wildcats will also host Green Bay at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Series History
Northwestern leads, 8-7. Northwestern has won the last three meetings and is 3-1 against Western Illinois during the Tim Lenahan era.
Last meeting: The Wildcats defeated the Leathernecks 3-0 in Evanston Oct. 10, 2004. John Carlstedt, Gerardo Alvarez and Brad Napper posted goals for the Wildcats in the win. Justin Pines and Brian Heckenbach each played a half in goal for Northwestern to share the shutout.
Scouting Western Illinois
The Leathernecks (5-8-3, 1-2-1 Summit League) snapped a six-match winless streak with a 2-0 home win over Centenary on Saturday. Western Illinois is 2-8-3 since opening the campaign with three straight wins. Martin Browne, Jr. and Preston Bernardi lead the team with three goals apiece. Charlie Sales (0.95 gaa) and Stephen Paterson (1.09 gaa) have split time equally in goal this season. WIU's best result this year was a 1-1 tie at then-No. 10 Creighton Oct. 5.
Wildcats Bounce Back With 2-0 Win Over No. 16 Michigan State
Northwestern tied its winningest Big Ten regular season ever Sunday afternoon as it posted a key 2-0 victory over No. 16 Michigan State at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats started the scoring just six minutes and 20 seconds into the contest as Carl Pett assisted on a goal by Piero Bellizzi. The lead held up until the Wildcats finally got their insurance goal at the 85:40 mark. Matt Eliason won the ball at the midfield and made a feed ahead to Eamon O'Neill who finished off the breakaway to seal the win for the Wildcats. Justin Pines, who recently rejoined the men's soccer program while also competing for the football team, made one save to get the win in his first start and first appearance of the season.
Familiar Face Does Double Duty
The Wildcats welcomed back a familiar face to the program last week as senior goalkeeper Justin Pines rejoined the team. Pines was a member of the men's soccer team from 2003-06 and has been serving as a reserve kicker on the Northwestern football team this season. A knee injury to Misha Rosenthal left the list of NU keepers in short supply. Pines suited up for the Wildcat football team for its game against Eastern Michigan in Detroit Oct. 19 before making the trip to Ann Arbor for the soccer team's game against Michigan the next night. He made his first appearance and start of the season against Michigan State Sunday and made one save to earn the shutout win.
A Solid Big Ten Standing
Northwestern's win over Michigan State Sunday gave the Wildcats a final Big Ten record of 3-2-1 this season. The mark ties the school record for best conference mark in a season, tying the similar finish by the 2004 squad. NU has nine wins in the last four Big Ten seasons after posting just four wins in the previous 13 conference seasons.
Establishing a Winning Legacy
The last four seasons should prove that the Wildcats have established themselves as a force in the Big Ten. Northwestern has posted nine Big Ten victories from 2004-07. In the previous 13 seasons, NU recorded a combined four wins in conference play. The Wildcats have also posted double-digit win totals overall in three of the last four seasons. Northwestern had just four other 10-plus win campaigns from 1980-2003, including none since 1988.
Wildcats in the National Rankings
Northwestern dropped down three spots to No. 12 in the NSCAA top 25 following its 1-1 record last week. The Wildcats remained ranked third in the Great Lakes Region rankings behind Indiana and Notre Dame. The Wildcats have been ranked as high as No. 3 this season, their highest ranking in school history. NU is No. 13 in this week's SoccerTimes.com and College Soccer News rankings.
NU Ranks Third in RPI
Northwestern is currently in the No. 3 spot in the NCAA men's soccer RPI which was released Tuesday. Wake Forest ranked first, followed by Boston College. The next highest ranked Big Ten team is Indiana at No. 4, followed by Ohio State at No. 7. The RPI is the primary determining factor for which teams will be selected for the upcoming NCAA tournament.
