Sept. 30, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
A pair of undefeated and highly ranked teams do battle Tuesday evening as No. 3 Northwestern travels to No. 11 Saint Louis for a huge non-conference tilt. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Gametracker is available for the contest, as is live streaming video for a subscription fee. Both can be accessed via NUsports.com.
The Wildcats' No. 3 ranking in this week's NSCAA poll matches their highest ever, also achieved last season.
Scouting Saint Louis
The Billikens (4-0-3) have posted wins in four of their last five contests, including defeating Missouri State 3-0 at home last Saturday. Brandon Barklage led SLU with a goal and an assist in the victory. Kyle Patterson paces Saint Louis with 12 points on five goals and two assists. Dan Donigan has a 95-30-21 in eight seasons as the head coach of the Billikens. SLU and Northwestern have one common opponent this season. The Billikens tied Loyola Marymount 2-2 in Los Angeles Aug. 31 while the Wildcats defeated the Lions 1-0 Sept. 19 in Evanston.
Series Information
Saint Louis leads the all-time series with Northwestern 2-1-0. However, the Wildcats won the most recent meeting, defeating the Billikens 1-0 on their home field in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. St. Louis native David Roth tallied the lone goal in the contest.
Looking Back on Ohio State
Northwestern continued its best start to a season in school history as it opened Big Ten play with a 1-0 win over No. 16 Ohio State Saturday night at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats tallied the lone goal of the match just over 18 minutes in when Piero Bellizzi played the ball from the top of the box to Matt Eliason at the left flank. Eliason was able to maneuver around a Buckeye defender and fire a shot inside the far post past from 15 yards out to put the Wildcats ahead. NU's stellar defense held off the Buckeyes the rest of the way to earn their eighth shutout in nine matches this season. Northwestern's win marked the third straight season the Wildcats have defeated the Buckeyes in their Big Ten opener. Misha Rosenthal made three saves to earn the win in goal.
Eliason's Breakout Season
Forward Matt Eliason is off to a tremendous start to his sophomore campaign. His eight goals so far are just one fewer than the nation's leaders, including Doug Demartin of Michigan State. Four of the goals are game-winners. Eliason had a memorable weekend at the NIU/adidas Invitational, being named the most valuable player after scoring four goals in NU's two 3-0 wins over Eastern Illinois and Xavier. For his efforts, he was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and to the National Team of the Week by both College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer. Eliason became the third player in school history and the first in 11 years to net a hat trick in the victory over EIU. All three goals came in the second half. It was the first hat trick by an NU player since Patrick Eggen accomplished the feat against North Park Oct. 24, 1997. Eliason had five goals a season ago as a freshman.
So Far, So Good
Northwestern's 8-0-1 record mark's the program's top start to a season in school history. The previous best for the number of matches to open a campaign without a loss was eight. The 2007 squad had a 7-0-1 mark through its first eight matches before falling to Penn State 2-1. The Wildcats are the top-ranked team in the Great Lakes Region according to the NSCAA.
Looking Ahead
Northwestern is back home this Saturday for conference play as it faces Penn State at 3:30 p.m. The contest is being televised live by Big Ten Network.