Nov. 11, 2004
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In Northwestern's first meeting of the season with Penn State, the Nittany Lions scored a pair of goals in the final 44 seconds to tie the Wildcats, 2-2. Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, it was Northwestern's turn to do the dramatic.
Four minutes into the first overtime period of a 0-0 match, sophomore Gerardo Alvarez (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) caused a deflection off Penn State goalkeeper Conrad Taylor. Sophomore John Carlstedt (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit) picked up the loose ball and sent it into the open net, giving the No. 3-seeded Wildcats a 1-0 victory over No. 6 Penn State.
"We had a heartbreaker against them a month ago against (Penn State)," NU head coach Tim Lenahan said. "That has been in the back of our mind and we used it as a motivator coming into this match.
"I can not say enough about our guys and how hard they work. They make my job a lot easier."
The goal was the first given up by Conrad in more than 230 consecutive minutes.
Just like NU's previous meeting with the Nittany Lions, the Wildcats controlled the majority of the run of play. Unlike that October 8 contest, Northwestern had trouble capitalizing in regulation.
The Wildcats (13-4-2) took 11 shots to Penn State's eight, but both teams managed only three shots on goal. Sophomore Justin Pines (Media, Pa./Strath Haven) made three saves for the shutout. NU scored on the only shot taken in the overtime period.
Freshman David Roth (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade) showcased his precocious playmaking ability throughout the match, serving ball after ball into the box, but Northwestern failed to finish a handful of dangerous opportunities in regulation.
The Wildcats' best attempt on goal came midway through the second half when Brad North (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) fought through three Penn State defenders into the box, unleashing a volley that Taylor smothered with his body.
The match seemed destined for overtime before the opening kick just by virtue of the Wildcats' opponent. The game marked Penn State's unofficial NCAA record 12th overtime contest of the season.
Despite their No. 6 seed, the Nittany Lions were no pushovers. Penn State entered the weekend ranked 12th in the latest NSCAA coaches poll.
"They are a great team," Lenahan said. "They will be a top seed in the NCAA tournament because that is the kind of team they are. We played a great game today to beat them."
The win is Northwestern's third-ever in the Big Ten Tournament. The Wildcats' also won last year's opening round match, 2-1, against Michigan. NU's other tourney victory came over Wisconsin in 1999.
Northwestern will face No. 7 seed Michigan in Friday's second semifinal at 1:30 p.m. CST. Michigan knocked out No. 2 Ohio State, 1-0, also in overtime. The game is a rematch of NU's first round match from a year ago when the Wildcats eliminated the Wolverines, 2-1.