Sept. 6, 2009
NU Game Notes vs. DePaul (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Ninth-ranked Northwestern opens up his home season Monday afternoon as it takes on DePaul in men's soccer action at Lakeside Field. The matchup between the local rivals kicks off at 1 p.m.
Fans who can't make it out to the match can follow along with Gametracker at NUsports.com or get live updates via Twitter @NU_SportsLIVE.
Series Information
Northwestern leads the all-time series with DePaul 13-6-1. The teams last met Oct. 10, 2007 at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats posted a 2-1 win as Matt Witt scored the winning goal as regulation time expired. Head coach Tim Lenahan is a perfect 4-0-0 during his Wildcat career against the Blue Demons.
NU Ties Green Bay, 3-3, in Season-Opener
Junior forward Matt Eliason netted a pair of goals and No. 9 Northwestern twice held two-goal advantages but was unable to hold on in settling for a 3-3 season-opening tie at Green Bay Tuesday, Sept. 1. The Wildcats led 2-0 at the half and 3-1 with under 20 minutes remaining, but the Phoenix rallied back to earn a result. Neither team was able to tally the winning goal in either of the two 10-minute overtime periods. Piero Bellizzi tallied NU's third goal of the match at the 70:35 mark, but the hosts rallied back to tie the game within the next 10 minutes. Sophomore Oliver Kupe assisted on two of the Wildcats' goals. Senior goalkeeper Misha Rosenthal recorded a career-high 10 saves. Eliason's two goals raised his career total to 19, moving him into a tie for eighth place in Northwestern history.
Scouting DePaul
The Blue Demons (0-2-0) are seeking their first win of the season after most recently dropping a 2-1 home decision to Green Bay on Saturday. Matt Leinauer recorded DePaul's first goal of the season to give the hosts the lead under eight minutes into the contest, but they were unable to hold on. The Blue Demons dropped their season-opener 2-0 at Drake Sept. 1. Junior Stefan Vroom is a preseason All-Big East selection after leading the team with four goals and two assists for 10 points last season. Ninth-year head coach Craig Blazer welcomes back 21 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's squad which went 9-7-4 overall and 5-4-2 in Big East play.
Blades Earns Preseason Honors
Senior defender Mark Blades, considered one of the top left back players in the country, has earned preseason recognition from a variety of organizations. He was named a preseason second-team All-American by College Soccer News and is one of 38 players nationally named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List. The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate soccer player. Blades has also been recognized for his efforts both on and off the field by being named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence--classroom, character, community and competition. A second-team All-Big Ten pick, a first-team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region selection and a third-team NSCAA All-American a year ago, Blades helped anchor a Northwestern defense that posted a 0.55 goals-against average and 13 shutouts in 2008. He also chipped in offensively with three goals.
Northwestern Picked Second in Big Ten Preseason Poll
For the second consecutive year, Northwestern was tabbed to finish second in this season's Big Ten preseason poll of the conference's head coaches. Indiana was selected as the favorite to win the league title. The Wildcats return six starters and 15 letterwinners from last year's squad which went 15-5-3 overall and 3-3-0 in Big Ten play, good for third place. Indiana last captured the Big Ten regular season title in 2007 and has won a conference-record 12 Big Ten crowns overall. NU is ranked one spot ahead of defending conference champion Michigan State. Ohio State follows in fourth, while Penn State and Wisconsin are tied for fifth. Michigan comes in seventh.
Looking Ahead
Northwestern returns to action this weekend as it travels to DeKalb, Ill., for the adidas/NIU Invitational. The Wildcats face Oakland Friday, Sept. 11 before taking on Tulsa Sunday, Sept. 13.