Freshman Lepe Seetane has appeared in all 12 of the Wildcats' matches.

Northwestern Concludes Homestand Sunday Against Penn State

10/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Oct. 15, 2010

Northwestern (6-5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (8-4-0, 1-2 Big Ten)
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010
Lakeside Field (2,500)
Evanston, Ill. • 1 p.m.
Tickets: Available at Lakeside Field prior to match
Streaming Video: NUsports.com
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern brings its five-game homestand to a close Sunday as it welcomes Penn State to Lakeside Field for a key Big Ten matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The contest is being streamed live at NUsports.com.

It is the Chipotle BIG Game with the first 50 students in attendance receiving a free burrito courtesy of Chipotle. In addition, the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free Northwestern Soccer drawstring bag.

Northwestern is coming off a 2-0 home loss to Northern Illinois Wednesday night. The Huskies tallied a first-half goal off a free kick and a second-half score following a corner kick. NIU had a 15-9 edge in shots while each team had five corner kicks. The tightly called match had 36 fouls called. Drew Kotler made five saves for the Wildcats.

Scouting Penn State
The Nittany Lions (8-4-0, 1-2-0 Big Ten) are currently receiving the most votes of any team not ranked in the top 25 of this week's NSCAA poll. Penn State took top-ranked Akron to double overtime Wednesday night before falling 2-1 on a penalty kick. The Nittany Lions are tied with Michigan State for the Big Ten lead with an average of 2.33 goals per game. Corey Hertzog paces the league with 12 goals, while Matheus Braga is first with 11 assists. Warren Gross sports a 1.25 goals-against average and a .706 save percentage.

Last Meeting
Northwestern and Penn State played to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 11 of last season in University Park. Eamon O'Neill scored in the 85th minute to give the Wildcats the lead before the Nittany Lions tallied with just 39 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score. Misha Rosenthal made nine saves in goal for NU.

Kupe's Contributions
Junior forward Oliver Kupe has established himself as one of the top offensive threats in the Big Ten. A year ago, Kupe tied for the conference lead with seven assists. Kupe contributed his first helper of the season Sept. 5 on Reed Losee's goal against Saint Mary's (Calif.). He also shown the ability to find the back of the net himself as he notched his second career two-goal game Sept. 10 in a 4-0 win over Cleveland State en route to being named the MVP of the NIU adidas/Magnuson Inn Invitational. Kupe's five goals so far this season lead the Wildcats.

Preseason Accolades
Senior forward Matt Eliason has been recognized by multiple organizations as he competes in his final season at Northwestern. The Lombard, Ill., native is a preseason second-team All-America selection of College Soccer News and is one of 39 individuals named to the watch list for the Hermann Trophy which honors the nation's top collegiate soccer player. He has also been named a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award which recognizes senior student-athletes for their contributions both on and off the field. Northwestern has two other individuals who are returning award winners. Defender Chris Ritter and midfielder Kyle Schickel were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season, while Schickel was an honorable mention pick to the Top Drawer Soccer All-Freshman Team.

Eliason's Stellar Career
Matt Eliason has earned his preseason recognition based on what he has accomplished over his first three seasons at Northwestern. A two-time All-Big Ten first team and the All-Great Lakes Region second team selection, he surpassed Jonathan Hall (1986-89) for first in school history with his 31st career goal against Oregon State Sept. 12. Eliason's 13 goals last season led the Big Ten. He also ranks third all-time at Northwestern with 78 career points, two behind career leaders Hall and Gerardo Alvarez (2003-06). Eliason has also gotten the job done in the classroom as he was named an ESPN the Magazine Second-Team Academic All-American and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar a year ago.

Head Coach Tim Lenahan
Tim Lenahan is in his 10th season at the helm at Northwestern as the architect of a program that has undergone a metamorphosis from an also-ran to a national power. He inherited a program that had won a total of four Big Ten matches in the 10 years prior to his arrival and turned it into one that has reached the NCAA tournament in five of the last six seasons. The team has advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round two of the last four years. Lenahan has an 98-73-24 record at Northwestern and is 224-141-42 mark in 21 seasons overall as a head coach. A 1983 graduate of Richard Stockton College, Lenahan coached for eight seasons at his alma mater and for three more at Lafayette before coming to Evanston.

Kotler Steps In
NU's goalkeepers in 2010 have some big shoes to fill as they replace the graduated Misha Rosenthal, the school's all-time leader with 29 shutouts. After starting the first two matches on the bench, junior Drew Kotler has admirably taken over. His 0.86 goals-against average ranks second in the Big Ten, while his .812 save percentage ranks third. Kotler has three shutouts this season and recorded a career-high 11 saves against Notre Dame Sept. 29.

Youth is Being Served
The 'Cats have started as many as five freshmen at the same time this year. Layth Masri, Lepe Seetane and Reed Losee have appeared in all 12 matches, while Scott Lakin has played in 11 and Connor Holloway 10. Losee has two goals and is third on the team lead with three assists. Masri has contributed a goal and two assists. Seetane and Lakin have chipped in with a goal and an assist, respectively.

The Drive for Five
Last year's senior class at Northwestern accomplished something no other class in school history had done--reach the NCAA tournament each year of their collegiate careers. The Wildcats are seeking their fifth straight NCAA appearance in 2010. All five of Northwestern's NCAA tournament appearances have come in the last six seasons (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). This year's group of seniors has 44 career victories to their credit, eight shy of the school history of 52 wins set by last year's squad.

Wildcats Picked Third in Big Ten Preseason Poll
Northwestern has been tabbed to finish third in the Big Ten this season in a preseason poll of the conference's head coaches. Defending champ Ohio State is the coaches' choice to remain atop the Big Ten, followed by Indiana. Penn State tied the Wildcats for third place, followed by Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin, respectively. The second-place finish by the Wildcats' a year ago was the best in program history. NU's 3-2-1 mark against conference foes matched the 2004 and 2007 teams for the program's best Big Ten record in a season.

Jones Joins Coaching Staff
Neil Jones has joined the Wildcats' coaching staff this season, replacing Andy Fleming who left to become the head coach at Xavier. A 2004 graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Jones spent the last four years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, including helping the Gauchos to the 2006 national championship. A four-year starter at UCSB, Jones amassed 28 goals and 16 assists during his career. A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Jones has also spent time competing at the national level as a member of New Zealand's National Team. He earned his first two full international caps playing for New Zealand's World Cup squad and scored two goals in the Kiwi's win over Tahiti during the OFC Nation's Cup. Jones also played in the U-17 World Cup Finals with the national team.

Up Next...
Northwestern makes the short trip to Loyola Chicago Wednesday night for a nonconference tilt. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

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