Northwestern University Athletics
Tuesday, October 7
Evanston, Ill.
6:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
6-4-1, 1-3-0
1
vs
0
Evansville
4-3-5, 2-0-0
1
2
F
Evansville
0
0
0
Northwestern
1
0
1
Photo by: Henry Frieman/Northwestern Athletics
‘Cats Blank Evansville In Non-Conference Finale, 1-0
10/7/2025 9:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Riesz nets game-winning goal in the 28th minute
EVANSTON, Ill. (October 7, 2025) — After more than a week between matches and consecutive conference defeats, Northwestern head coach Russell Payne knew his squad would be raring to go ahead of its final non-conference game against Evansville on Tuesday night in Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
Behind junior forward Peter Riesz's 28th-minute goal, the Wildcats (6-4-1, 1-3-0 Big Ten) returned to the win column with a 1-0 victory over the Purple Aces (4-3-5, 2-0-0 MVC). With the result, Northwestern snapped Evansville's six-match unbeaten run that stretched back to September 4.
"They were ready, and I think we could play another match right now," Payne said. "They got a lot of energy in them. They were just a little bit anxious with the ball tonight a few times, but otherwise, our energy was good, and our commitment was great."
In a match where chances were at a premium, the Wildcats scored on one of their two shots on goal Tuesday night. Senior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León tallied one save to record his third shutout of the season.
Junior midfielder Baraka Tarleton, who transferred to Northwestern this year after two seasons with the Purple Aces, recorded his second assist of the season on Riesz's first-half strike. Payne said Tarleton showed significant mental strength and maturity playing against his former teammates and coaches.
"It was surreal — playing with those guys for two years, it's kind of weird playing against them in an actual game," Tarleton said. "They have a good squad. They always battled. We finished our chances. We worked hard, we defended hard and came with it to win."
Once play resumed in the second half, the Wildcats shifted into a more defensive approach as they defended their one-goal advantage. Evansville took five second-half shots, but none were goalbound.
"As a team, we always push for that second goal, but I told my back line 'A clean sheet wins it,'" said senior defender Nigel Prince, who put in a last-ditch challenge to thwart a one-on-one opportunity in the final 10 minutes. "We wanted to make sure we were tight in the back and kept that clean sheet."
Northwestern will return to Big Ten Conference play on Saturday, when Payne's squad will play host to Michigan State at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Gallery: (10-7-2025) Men's Soccer vs. Evansville
Behind junior forward Peter Riesz's 28th-minute goal, the Wildcats (6-4-1, 1-3-0 Big Ten) returned to the win column with a 1-0 victory over the Purple Aces (4-3-5, 2-0-0 MVC). With the result, Northwestern snapped Evansville's six-match unbeaten run that stretched back to September 4.
"They were ready, and I think we could play another match right now," Payne said. "They got a lot of energy in them. They were just a little bit anxious with the ball tonight a few times, but otherwise, our energy was good, and our commitment was great."
In a match where chances were at a premium, the Wildcats scored on one of their two shots on goal Tuesday night. Senior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León tallied one save to record his third shutout of the season.
Junior midfielder Baraka Tarleton, who transferred to Northwestern this year after two seasons with the Purple Aces, recorded his second assist of the season on Riesz's first-half strike. Payne said Tarleton showed significant mental strength and maturity playing against his former teammates and coaches.
"It was surreal — playing with those guys for two years, it's kind of weird playing against them in an actual game," Tarleton said. "They have a good squad. They always battled. We finished our chances. We worked hard, we defended hard and came with it to win."
Once play resumed in the second half, the Wildcats shifted into a more defensive approach as they defended their one-goal advantage. Evansville took five second-half shots, but none were goalbound.
"As a team, we always push for that second goal, but I told my back line 'A clean sheet wins it,'" said senior defender Nigel Prince, who put in a last-ditch challenge to thwart a one-on-one opportunity in the final 10 minutes. "We wanted to make sure we were tight in the back and kept that clean sheet."
Northwestern will return to Big Ten Conference play on Saturday, when Payne's squad will play host to Michigan State at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
UE
NU
Goals
0
1
Shots
10
5
Shots on Goal
1
2
Saves
1
1
Corners
5
3
Fouls
19
8
Scoring Plays
Peter Riesz (4)
Assisted By: Baraka Tarleton
GOAL by NU Riesz, Peter Assist by Tarleton, Baraka.
27:57
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
Men's Soccer - 'Cats Blank Evansville In Non-Conference Finale, 1-0 (10/7/25)
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Saturday, September 20
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Sunday, September 07
Men's Soccer - Suchecki, O'Reilly Lift 'Cats Over Air Force, 2-1 (8/24/25)
Sunday, August 24
