Aug. 31, 2011
Northwestern (0-1-0) vs. No. 7 California (1-0-0)
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011
Toyota Park
Bridgeview, Ill. 7 p.m.
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
California Game Notes (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern makes the trek to Bridgeview, Ill., on Thursday as it squares off against seventh-ranked California at Toyota Park. Kickoff is set for approximately 7 p.m., following the 5 p.m. match between DePaul and UIC.
Admission is $8, while children under the age of 5 are free. Tickets can be reserved by contacting Mark Plotkin in the Northwestern men's soccer office. There is no charge for parking at Toyota Park.
This is the second consecutive season, Northwestern is playing a match at Toyota Park. A year ago, NU played Notre Dame to a 1-1 draw at the venue. The facility is the home of the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.
Last Time Out
The Wildcats were stunned at home in their season-opener last Friday, falling 2-1 to Eastern Illinois in overtime. Senior forward Oliver Kupe put NU in front with a first-half goal off an assist from junior defender Jarrett Baughman. However, the Panthers got the equalizer at 77:02 before netting the game-winner 3:29 into the first overtime period. After posting a 4-2 edge in shots in the first half, Northwestern was out-shot 7-2 the rest of the way.
Scouting California
The Bears opened their season with a 1-0 victory over San Francisco last Friday. John Fitzpatrick scored the match's lone goal for Cal. He is the team's top returning scorer from a year ago, posting seven goals and three assists for 17 points in 2010. Cal went 14-2-4 last season and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round, but the Bears started eight new players in their season-opener against USF. Kevin Grimes is 129-71-25 in 12 seasons as the head coach at Cal.
Series History
This is the first meeting between the schools. In fact, this is the first time that Northwestern has faced an opponent from the Pac-12 Conference.
Solid Nucleus Returns
Northwestern returns 17 letterwinners, including six starters, from last year's team which went 8-8-2 overall and 2-3-1 in Big Ten play. The Wildcats return 73 percent of their goal-scoring from a year ago (22 of 30). In goal, Jonathan Harris returns after appearing in six matches with four starts in 2010. Tommy Tombridge also saw action in two matches in goal last year.
Kupe's Contributions
Forward Oliver Kupe enters his senior year having established himself as one of the top offensive threats in the Big Ten. His 10 goals last season led the Wildcats and ranked fifth in the conference. As a sophomore, Kupe tied for the conference lead with seven assists. He notched his second career two-goal game Sept. 10, 2010 in a 4-0 win over Cleveland State en route to being named the MVP of the NIU adidas/Magnuson Inn Invitational. Kupe also posted two goals in the Wildcats' regular-season finale against Michigan. His five goals in league play last season tied for the Big Ten lead and helped him earn second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Youth is Being Served
The 'Cats started as many as five freshmen at the same time last year. Layth Masri, Lepe Seetane and Reed Losee appeared in all 18 matches, while Scott Lakin and Connor Holloway played in 15 apiece. Northwestern is hoping that experience pays off this season. Losee tied for second on team with three goals and was third with nine points. Seetane notched two goals and an assist, while Masri contributed a goal and two assists. Holloway tallied one goal while Lakin had one helper to his credit.
Big Ten Preseason Rankings
Northwestern has been picked for a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten this season in a preseason poll of the conference's head coaches. Indiana is the preseason pick to win the league, followed by Ohio State and Penn State. Michigan was tabbed fourth, followed by Michigan State and the Wildcats with Wisconsin selected seventh. Senior forward Oliver Kupe, sophomore midfielder Lepe Seetane and junior defender Jarrett Baughman were named as players to watch from Northwestern.
Up Next
The Wildcats return to action Monday when they host UMKC in a Labor Day contest. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!