EVANSTON, Ill. (August 19, 2026) – With its exhibition slate complete, Northwestern raises the curtain on the 2026 season with a pair of contests in the campaign’s opening week.
The ‘Cats begin the new slate at home, welcoming New Haven to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday afternoon. Following its clash with the Chargers, Northwestern will trek east to South Bend, Ind. on Sunday for a 6:30 p.m. CT tilt with perennial Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) power Notre Dame at Alumni Stadium.
The 2026 season marks head coach Russell Payne’s sixth at the head of the Northwestern bench. Payne, who surpassed 100 career wins in 2025, has piloted the ‘Cats to three straight winning seasons, a feat the program had previously not accomplished since 2012-14. Payne returns 15 letterwinners from last season, a group spearheaded by 2025 Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree Aaron O’Reilly (5G, 2A), in addition to a 13-member recruiting class that was ranked 23rd nationally by Top Drawer Soccer.
SCOUTING NEW HAVEN
New Haven made its debut at the Division I level in 2025, closing the year with a 5-5-6 overall mark that included a 3-3-3 ledger in Northeast Conference (NEC) play.  Led by fourth-year head coach Tom Mattera, the Chargers were picked sixth in the nine-team NEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Mattera welcomes back his top three point-getters from a season ago in Lukian Lawro, Andres Lazo, and Guilherme Meira.
Lawro closed last season with a team-best four goals, while Lazo ranked just behind him in overall points, adding two goals and a team-high three assists. Meira looks to build off an impressive campaign of his own that saw him named to the NEC’s All-Rookie team after finding the back of the net on three occasions.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame finished the 2025 season at 9-7-4 overall (3-3-2 ACC) en route to making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons. Prior to hosting the ‘Cats, the Fighting Irish open the 2026 season on Thursday evening on the road at No. 22 Indiana.
Set to begin his ninth year at Notre Dame, head coach Chad Riley’s team was tabbed eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Nolan Spicer was recognized as a Preseason All-ACC honoree following a junior campaign in which he finished with two goals and a team-high seven assists to earn Third Team All-ACC distinction.
Riley welcomes back an experienced name between the pipes in Blake Kelly. Kelly entrenched himself as the Fighting Irish’s primary goalkeeper in 2025, posting six shutouts across 20 starting appearances.
SERIES STUFF
Thursday’s regular season opener will mark the first meeting between Northwestern and New Haven in men’s soccer.
The ‘Cats and Notre Dame are set to clash for the 25th time on Sunday evening, a series which the Fighting Irish lead, 14-5-5 (.688). The two teams last met during the 2018 season, as the No. 15 Fighting Irish picked up a 3-0 win in Evanston. Northwestern’s last win over Notre Dame came back on October 18, 2016, with a 94th-minute strike from Mike Roberge propelling the ‘Cats to a 2-1 overtime upset of No. 2 Notre Dame at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill.
UP NEXT
Northwestern continues a two-game Hoosier State road swing on Friday, August 28 with a 7 p.m. CT tilt at Evansville. The ‘Cats return home just under 72 hours later, welcoming Xavier to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. CT matchup on Monday, August 31.