Northwestern University Athletics
No. 3 Wildcats Host Penn State in Televised Contest Saturday
10/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 3, 2008
NU Game Notes vs. Penn State (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -
No. 3 Northwestern looks to remain undefeated and atop the Big Ten standings as it hosts Penn State in men's soccer action Saturday afternoon at Lakeside Field. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. The contest is being televised live on Big Ten Network. With the football team on its bye week, fans are encouraged to come out and continue to support the Wildcats.
Gametracker is available for the contest and can be accessed via NUsports.com.
Scouting Penn State
The Nittany Lions (2-6-2, 0-1-0 Big Ten) have struggled out of the gates this season, including dropping their last three contests. A season-high three goals, including two by Treavor Gelsinger, weren't enough for Penn State in its Big Ten opener Sunday, falling to Michigan State 4-3. Gelsinger's two goals lead the team this season as PSU has only been to tally eight goals in their 10 matches. Liam Fitzwater has seen the majority of the playing time in goal, posting three shutouts with 1.18 goals-against average and a .730 save percentage. Barry Gorman has a 264-148-42 record in 22 seasons as a head coach, with 251 of those wins coming at Penn State.
Series Information
Penn State leads the all-time series with Northwestern by a 21-1-1 margin. The Nittany Lions handed their first loss of the season a year ago, topping NU 2-1 in University Park. The Wildcats' lone victory in the series came by a 1-0 margin in overtime at the 2004 Big Ten Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Looking Back on Saint Louis
Both defenses dominated Tuesday evening as the Wildcats settled for a scoreless draw at No. 11 Saint Louis. The shutout was the ninth of the season for NU, tying a single-season school record and matching last year's squad. Neither team was able to mount any sort of offensive attack in the first half as the squads combined for one shot between them. Northwestern appeared to net the game-winner with four minutes left in the second overtime, but the tally was disallowed for barely being offsides. The Wildcats finished with a 10-6 advantage in shots. Misha Rosenthal earned the shutout despite not being forced to make a save.
Lenahan To Be Recognized in Pregame Ceremonies
Northwestern head coach Tim Lenahan is being honored prior to the start of Saturday's contest for earning his 200th win as a collegiate coach. Lenahan reached the milestone victory in the Wildcats' 1-0 win over Ohio State last Saturday. In 18 seasons as a head coach, Lenhan's record stands at 200-126-36.
So Far, So Good
Northwestern's 8-0-2 record mark's the program's top start to a season in school history. The previous best for the number of matches to open a campaign without a loss was eight. The 2007 squad had a 7-0-1 mark through its first eight matches before falling to Penn State 2-1. The Wildcats moved up four spots to No. 3 in this week's NSCAA poll, matching the program's highest ranking ever (also achieved last year) and are the top-ranked team in the Great Lakes Region. NU is the highest ranked Big Ten program, followed by Indiana (20) and Ohio State (21).
Looking Ahead
Northwestern returns to action next Sunday as it heads north to Madison to face Wisconsin. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
