Friday, August 30
Evanston, Ill.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Drake
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
No. 12 Northwestern Entertains Drake, Visits UIC This Weekend
8/29/2024 11:30:00β―AM | Men's Soccer
βCats seek first 4-0 start to a season in program history
EVANSTON, Ill. (August 29, 2024) β Currently ranked No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, Northwestern (2-0) looks to build off a perfect start to the regular season this weekend as it faces a pair of foes out of the Missouri Valley Conference.
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The 'Cats will close a season-opening three-match homestand at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. against Drake before venturing to Chicago's West Side on Monday for a 7 p.m. Labor Day matchup with UIC at Flames Field.
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Admission to all Northwestern men's soccer games at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is free throughout the regular season.
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LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern opened the newly renovated Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in style last week, picking up wins over Green Bay, 2-0, and DePaul, 2-1, respectively.Β Italo Addimandi impressed in his first action as a Wildcat, tallying an assist against Green Bay before finding the back of the net in the weekend finale.Β Northwestern's defensive unit turned in a pair of stout performances, limiting the Phoenix and Blue Demons to a combined nine shots.
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SCOUTING DRAKE
Picked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Preseason Poll, Drake split a pair of matchups last week.Β The Bulldogs fired home three second-half goals en route to a 3-0 win in their home opener this past Thursday against Grand View. Head coach Pat Flinn's team gave Creighton all it could handle on Sunday in Omaha, Neb., taking a 2-1 lead into the intermission before ultimately dropping a 5-3 decision to the Bluejays.
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Five different Bulldogs have found the back of the net through the season's opening two games. The quintet is led by Damian Segura, who scored in both games. Segura also tallied an assist against Creighton.
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Tomas Butkovic has taken the reins of the Bulldogs' starting goalkeeper job early on this season. Butkovic, who boasts a 2.50 goals against average and a 0.643 save percentage, made three stops against Grand View ahead of a six-save showing at Creighton on Sunday.
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SCOUTING UIC
Like Drake, UIC, which visits No. 22 Wisconsin on Thursday evening, went 1-1 during the season's opening week.Β Veteran head coach Sean Phillips' side dropped a 4-3 thriller to DePaul last Thursday before rallying to defeat Green Bay, 4-2, on Sunday night.
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Tabbed second in the MVC Preseason Poll, the Flames boast a trio of Preseason all-league picks in Bart Muns, Joshua Torres, and Jesus De Vicente, a trio that combined for 19 goals and 23 assists in 2023.
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Muns already has a pair of goals to his name in 2024, both of which were scored in the win against Green Bay, while Torres (one goal) and De Vicente (two assists) have also contributed to the UIC attack early on this season.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Drake will matchup for the 12th time on Friday evening, a series the Wildcats' hold a 7-2-2 advantage in. The two teams last met on September 7, 2012, with a goal in the 93rd minute from Chris Ritter proving to be the difference in a 2-1 overtime victory for the 'Cats.
Β
The 'Cats will close a season-opening three-match homestand at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. against Drake before venturing to Chicago's West Side on Monday for a 7 p.m. Labor Day matchup with UIC at Flames Field.
Β
Admission to all Northwestern men's soccer games at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is free throughout the regular season.
Β
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern opened the newly renovated Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in style last week, picking up wins over Green Bay, 2-0, and DePaul, 2-1, respectively.Β Italo Addimandi impressed in his first action as a Wildcat, tallying an assist against Green Bay before finding the back of the net in the weekend finale.Β Northwestern's defensive unit turned in a pair of stout performances, limiting the Phoenix and Blue Demons to a combined nine shots.
Β
SCOUTING DRAKE
Picked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Preseason Poll, Drake split a pair of matchups last week.Β The Bulldogs fired home three second-half goals en route to a 3-0 win in their home opener this past Thursday against Grand View. Head coach Pat Flinn's team gave Creighton all it could handle on Sunday in Omaha, Neb., taking a 2-1 lead into the intermission before ultimately dropping a 5-3 decision to the Bluejays.
Β
Five different Bulldogs have found the back of the net through the season's opening two games. The quintet is led by Damian Segura, who scored in both games. Segura also tallied an assist against Creighton.
Β
Tomas Butkovic has taken the reins of the Bulldogs' starting goalkeeper job early on this season. Butkovic, who boasts a 2.50 goals against average and a 0.643 save percentage, made three stops against Grand View ahead of a six-save showing at Creighton on Sunday.
Β
SCOUTING UIC
Like Drake, UIC, which visits No. 22 Wisconsin on Thursday evening, went 1-1 during the season's opening week.Β Veteran head coach Sean Phillips' side dropped a 4-3 thriller to DePaul last Thursday before rallying to defeat Green Bay, 4-2, on Sunday night.
Β
Tabbed second in the MVC Preseason Poll, the Flames boast a trio of Preseason all-league picks in Bart Muns, Joshua Torres, and Jesus De Vicente, a trio that combined for 19 goals and 23 assists in 2023.
Β
Muns already has a pair of goals to his name in 2024, both of which were scored in the win against Green Bay, while Torres (one goal) and De Vicente (two assists) have also contributed to the UIC attack early on this season.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Drake will matchup for the 12th time on Friday evening, a series the Wildcats' hold a 7-2-2 advantage in. The two teams last met on September 7, 2012, with a goal in the 93rd minute from Chris Ritter proving to be the difference in a 2-1 overtime victory for the 'Cats.
Monday's Labor Day tilt marks the 29th meetingΒ between Northwestern and UIC. The Flames own a 14-12-2 lead in the all-time series, but the 'Cats have seen the better of late, going unbeaten (2-0-1) across the last three encounters. When the two teams met last season on September 11 in Evanston, Ill., Northwestern rolled to a 4-1 victory, outshooting UIC by a 12-3 margin.
UP NEXT
Northwestern closes out a brief two-match road swing on Friday, September 6 when it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. for a showdown with No. 5 Western Michigan at 4:30 p.m. (CT).Β The 'Cats return home to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Monday, September 9, hosting Marquette in a 6 p.m. kickoff.
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