A win against Wisconsin today and a loss by the Badgers to Ohio State on Sunday, would push the Northwestern men’s soccer team out of last place in the Big Ten.
Despite not having won a match this season, NU (0-11-3, 0-5 Big Ten) could still tie the Badgers (8-7-1, 1-3) for sixth place in the conference.
“They’re very beatable,” senior Grant Trimble said. “It depends on which team shows up tomorrow.”
Last Friday, Wisconsin lost to Northern Illinois, a team NU tied on Sunday. But the Badgers also beat Michigan State, which defeated the Cats earlier this season on a last-minute goal.
NU senior Dan Doman said the implications of a win against Wisconsin serve as motivation for the Cats.
If NU wins today and Wisconsin loses on Sunday, the Cats will most likely face Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. Playing the Spartans rather than Penn State will give the team more confidence, NU coach Tim Lenahan said.
“Obviously they’re more talented than us,” he said of the Badgers. “We try to approach all games as if they’re winnable, but there are some things matchup-wise that bode well.”
In today’s game, the Cats will have to focus their defense on Dominic DaPra, the Big Ten’s leading scorer. DaPra has found the net 15 times this season – six more than the entire NU squad – and is ranked 10th in the nation in goals per game.
“Anytime we play against a talented player, we use the ‘Where’s Waldo?’ mentality,” Lenahan said. “Every time we lose the ball we’re going to try and find Waldo – in this case, he’s DaPra.”
While DaPra will test the Cats’ defense, their lackluster offense has turned things around as of late – the Cats have scored three goals in their last two games.
All but one of NU’s goals this season have come on set pieces.
A win over a Big Ten foe would be a major step for NU’s soccer program, Lenahan said. The Cats have only four conference victories in the last 10 years, a span during which they have suffered 47 losses.
“Wisconsin has talent,” Lenahan said. “If they show up to play their best soccer, they’re probably going to beat us. If they don’t play their best soccer, we’re going to be right there.”
Trimble, who has not seen a Cats victory in two years, cited the need to stop the 33-game winless streak.
“We don’t (want to) have to open the paper after a game and see our streak at 33 losses.
“It’s getting fairly embarrassing.”
