Oct. 21, 2008
NU Game Notes vs. Northern Illinois (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern, ranked second in this week's NSCAA poll, opens its final home week of the regular season at 7 p.m. Wednesday as it faces Northern Illinois at Lakeside Field. Following Saturday's regular season home finale against Michigan, the Wildcats play their last three matches on the road.
Live streaming video and Gametracker can be accessed for Wednesday's match via NUsports.com.
Scouting Northern Illinois
The Huskies (7-2-4, 2-1-1 MAC) battled back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Hartwick 2-1 in double overtime Saturday. Drew Jeskey's third goal of the season was the game-winner. Brad Horton paces a balanced NIU scoring attack with five goals. Joe Zimka has played the entire season in goal for the Huskies and sports a 1.04 goals-against average and a .727 save percentage. The Wildcats and the Huskies have seen each other twice already this season. NIU played at Northwestern's Lakeside Classic and the Wildcats later traveled to DeKalb for the NIU/adidas Invitational. However, the teams did not face one another either time.
Series Information
Northern Illinois leads, 16-5-3. The Huskies won 14 consecutive meetings from 1987-2000. NIU came back to stun then-No. 9 Northwestern 2-1 in DeKalb Oct. 24 of last season. The Huskies scored with 89 seconds left in regulation to tie the match and then got the game-winner in the second overtime.
Looking Back on Wisconsin
Matt Eliason scored a pair of first-half goals as the Wildcats posted a 2-1 win at Wisconsin Oct. 12. Eliason cashed with the match's first goal at the 31:45 mark off an assist from Brian Usinger and then added a second three and a half minutes later to give NU a 2-0 lead going into the break. Carl Pett assisted on the second tally. Wisconsin would cut Northwestern's lead in half, but Misha Rosenthal stepped up to make four of his season-high seven saves in the second half to preserve the victory. The Wildcats finished with a slim 13-12 edge in shots for the contest.
So Far, So Good
Northwestern's 10-0-2 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 before falling to Penn State 2-1. The Wildcats' 3-0-0 start in Big Ten play is also their best ever. In fact, the program had never before won two straight games to open conference play. The three victories match the mark for the most Big Ten wins in a season in program history. The Wildcats remained No. 2 in this week's NSCAA poll, marking the program's highest ranking ever. NU's previous high ranking was No. 3, achieved in 2007. The 'Cats are also the top-ranked team in the Great Lakes Region and are No. 8 in the RPI which is released by the NCAA.
Tough Road Ahead
Northwestern has managed to remain undefeated through its first 12 matches of the season, but the Wildcats' final five matches of the regular season should prove to be a tough stretch. Three of the teams (Indiana--9, Michigan--13, Northern Illinois--25) were ranked in the top 25 of the Oct. 13 version of the NCAA's RPI, while Michigan State is technically in first place in the Big Ten with a 4-1-0 record and 12 points, and Loyola Chicago has been ranked in the national polls this season.
Up Next...
The Wildcats conclude their 2008 regular season home schedule Saturday as it takes on Michigan at Lakeside Field. Kickoff is 7 p.m. with the Northwestern seniors being honored prior to the match.