EVANSTON, Ill. – Junior forward Alex Fallon’s 85th-minute game-winner gave Northwestern a 1-0 victory over Michigan on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
After 84 minutes of back-and-forth with both sides pushing for the breakthrough, Fallon finally delivered it, firing from just outside the top of the 18-yard box past the outstretched Wolverine keeper for the game’s lone goal.Â
Alex Fallon puts us ahead 💪 pic.twitter.com/479xQ8uUWv
— Northwestern Soccer (@NUWSoccer) September 11, 2026
The first 20 minutes saw end-to-end action, with each side recording three shots in the game’s early going. Michigan (2-1-3, 0-1-0 Big Ten) settled in in the later stages of the first half, but sophomore goalkeeper Nyamma Nelson stood tall to preserve the scoreless deadlock.
In the 85th minute, first-year midfielder Elle Phillips found open space in the Wolverine half, carrying the ball deep and drawing Michigan defenders before playing off to Fallon. After one touch, Fallon cut back and fired with her left foot, putting the Wildcats (3-3-2, 1-0-0 Big Ten) ahead for good. Fallon’s tally is her second of the season and her second game-winner, also notching the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Denver on Aug. 23, which Phillips also assisted on.
Nelson collected a season-high five saves in the clean sheet, her third and NU’s fourth of the season. With the shutout, Nelson moves into sole possession of fourth in school history with 13 clean sheets in her young career.