Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Seeks First Big Ten Tournament Title
11/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 12, 2008
NU Big Ten Tournament Game Notes (PDF)
2008 Big Ten Tournament Bracket (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Fourth-seeded Northwestern takes aim at its first Big Ten Tournament title as it travels to Madison, Wis., for this year's event. The Wildcats open play at 10:30 a.m. Thursday against Penn State, the No. 5 seed, a team they defeated 2-1 at home Oct. 4. The winner faces top-seeded Michigan State in Friday's first semifinal contest.
Friday's semifinals and Sunday's championship game are being televised live by Big Ten Network. Live stats are available for every tournament match and can be accessed via UWBadgers.com. The Wildcats defeated all three conference teams seeded below them and lost to the three teams seeded above them.
Big Ten Tournament History
Northwestern is 5-17 all-time in Big Ten tournament play. Last year, the Wildcats defeated Wisconsin 3-1 in an opening round contest before falling to eventual tournament champion and national runner-up Ohio State 1-0 in the semifinals. NU's only appearance in the championship game came in 2004 when it lost to Michigan State, 1-0. Northwestern is 1-4 against Penn State when the teams meet in the Big Ten tournament. The Wildcats' lone win over the Nittany Lions was an opening-round 1-0 victory in overtime Nov. 11, 2004.
Looking Back on Indiana
NU wrapped up its regular season last Friday by dropping a 2-0 decision at No. 23 Indiana. The Hoosiers scored twice in the first half on goals by Will Bruin and John Mellencamp and then were able to hold on the rest of the way. IU finished with a 20-8 advantage in shots, including a 10-2 edge in the decisive first half. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Drew Kotler made six saves in his first collegiate start and appearance.
Establishing a Winning Legacy
The last five seasons should prove that the Wildcats have established themselves as a force in the Big Ten. Northwestern has posted 12 Big Ten victories from 2004-08. 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 four of the last five seasons. Northwestern had just four other 10-plus win campaigns from 1980-2003, including none since 1988.
So Far, So Good
Northwestern's 12-3-2 record mark's the program's best regular season record in school history, besting the 2007 team's 11-3-3 mark. The Wildcats went undefeated through their first 13 matches (11-0-2) before falling to Michigan Oct. 25. The previous best for the number of matches to open a campaign without a loss was eight set in 2007 (7-0-1). The Wildcats' three straight wins to open the 2008 Big Ten season were also a school record. The program had never before won more than one straight game to open conference play. The three victories also match the mark for the most Big Ten wins in a season in program history. The Wildcats fell five spots to No. 13 in this week's NSCAA poll. Their ranking of No. 2 earlier this season was the program's highest ever. NU's previous high ranking was No. 3, achieved in 2007. The 'Cats are No. 12 in this week's version of the RPI which is released by the NCAA.
Up Next...
The field for the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament is set to be announced Monday, Nov. 17. First-round matches will be played on campus sites Nov. 21 or 22, while the second round will also be held on campus sites Nov. 25.
