EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 16 Northwestern wrapped up the 2014 regular season on a winning note Wednesday at Lakeside Field, downing Wisconsin, 2-0, on the strength of two goals from junior Joey Calistri and six Tyler Miller saves.
Senior Eric Weberman assisted on both of Calistri's tallies, while sophomore Jeffrey Hopson and freshman Sam Forsgren each had one helper apiece.
The scoring started early for the Wildcats (9-3-5, 4-1-3) when Calistri was played a through-ball by Weberman and managed to poke a shot through the legs of the Wisconsin goalkeeper in just the 10th minute of the match.
Calistri then doubled the Northwestern lead five minutes after the start of the second half with a tap-in following a terrific end-line run and cross by Forsgren. His cross rolled all the way across the face of the goal before a sprinting Calistri latched onto it at the back post. Calistri's two goals moved him past junior Cole Missimo for the team lead in goals, with six on the year.
"It's always tough when you're going through a little bit of a rough patch," Calistri said after emphatically ending his recent scoring drought. "It happens as part of the game. You've got to grow from it, learn from it, and I knew that if I just kept putting the work in, that good things would come."
Calistri nearly had an opportunity to go for a hat trick in the game's final minutes, beating the Badgers 'D' to a loose ball 45 yards from goal and setting off on a likely one-on-one with the Wisconsin goalkeeper. But a Badgers defender tripped Calistri to deny him the breakaway, resulting in a straight red card on the play.
Senior goalkeeper Tyler Miller recorded his ninth shutout of the year, extending his school record to 36 career clean sheets.
"Tyler Miller ends his regular season career with three losses in Big Ten play in four years," head coach Tim Lenahan said. "That's pretty good."
Northwestern began the day with hopes still alive of capturing a third Big Ten regular season championship in three years, needing help from both Michigan and Rutgers in other Big Ten action this evening. Unfortunately for the 'Cats, the Scarlet Knights fell, 3-2, at the hands of Maryland, while the Wolverines fell, 2-1, to Ohio State.
Consequently, Northwestern earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament and earned the right to face perennial powerhouse Indiana, which struggled to the sixth seed in the event despite recently being ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw earlier this season and will square off at Noon CT on Sunday (Nov. 9) at Lakeside Field in Evanston.
"We're going to enjoy this little moment here," Lenahan said. "Any Big Ten win is a special win, and [we'll] get ready for probably the team that's the best in the country."
Senior Eric Weberman assisted on both of Calistri's tallies, while sophomore Jeffrey Hopson and freshman Sam Forsgren each had one helper apiece.
The scoring started early for the Wildcats (9-3-5, 4-1-3) when Calistri was played a through-ball by Weberman and managed to poke a shot through the legs of the Wisconsin goalkeeper in just the 10th minute of the match.
Calistri then doubled the Northwestern lead five minutes after the start of the second half with a tap-in following a terrific end-line run and cross by Forsgren. His cross rolled all the way across the face of the goal before a sprinting Calistri latched onto it at the back post. Calistri's two goals moved him past junior Cole Missimo for the team lead in goals, with six on the year.
"It's always tough when you're going through a little bit of a rough patch," Calistri said after emphatically ending his recent scoring drought. "It happens as part of the game. You've got to grow from it, learn from it, and I knew that if I just kept putting the work in, that good things would come."
Calistri nearly had an opportunity to go for a hat trick in the game's final minutes, beating the Badgers 'D' to a loose ball 45 yards from goal and setting off on a likely one-on-one with the Wisconsin goalkeeper. But a Badgers defender tripped Calistri to deny him the breakaway, resulting in a straight red card on the play.
Senior goalkeeper Tyler Miller recorded his ninth shutout of the year, extending his school record to 36 career clean sheets.
"Tyler Miller ends his regular season career with three losses in Big Ten play in four years," head coach Tim Lenahan said. "That's pretty good."
Northwestern began the day with hopes still alive of capturing a third Big Ten regular season championship in three years, needing help from both Michigan and Rutgers in other Big Ten action this evening. Unfortunately for the 'Cats, the Scarlet Knights fell, 3-2, at the hands of Maryland, while the Wolverines fell, 2-1, to Ohio State.
Consequently, Northwestern earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament and earned the right to face perennial powerhouse Indiana, which struggled to the sixth seed in the event despite recently being ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw earlier this season and will square off at Noon CT on Sunday (Nov. 9) at Lakeside Field in Evanston.
"We're going to enjoy this little moment here," Lenahan said. "Any Big Ten win is a special win, and [we'll] get ready for probably the team that's the best in the country."