A win over the No. 11 team in the nation in the Big Ten tournament?
It’s a possibility for the Northwestern men’s soccer team, coach Tim Lenahan said — that is, if Penn State’s top players miss their plane.
Without Ricardo Villar, Derek Potteiger and Chad Severs, the Nittany Lions look a lot less menacing. But the chance of the three players missing the trip to Madison, Wis., for the conference tournament is pretty slim.
With a victory over Penn State today, NU would end a 34-game winless streak, which dates back two years.
But No. 2 seed Penn State (12-3-1, 4-1-1 Big Ten) already dominated the Wildcats in the regular season, winning 3-0 in State College, Pa., on Oct. 5.
“They’re good, but everyone is 0-0 now,” Lenahan said. “So in the postseason, we’re undefeated.”
The “undefeated” Cats (0-12-3, 0-6) are the No. 7 seed in the seven-team Big Ten tournament. They face the Nittany Lions at 4 p.m. today.
Despite the obvious statistical differences between the two teams, Lenahan thinks his squad isn’t done yet.
“There should be no question of motivation because you’re playing for your life,” Lenahan said. “The other teams may beat us up, but it only takes one. We have a puncher’s chance.”
Penn State boasts a veteran lineup that includes several of the best players in the country, namely All-Americans Villar and Potteiger.
Villar is a candidate for Division I player of the year. The senior is second in the nation in assists with 12 and leads Penn State in points, shots and goals.
Severs, a freshman, is second on the team with 13 points.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Lenahan said. “But we have nothing to lose. All the teams have their sights set on a championship, but that’s not a realistic goal (for us).”
In the Cats’ previous game against Penn State, the Nittany Lions controlled the ball for most of the match. Penn State had 28 shots, compared to NU’s three.
As in that match, freshman Ryan Pederson will be in goal for the Cats today. Pederson has played the majority of the time in net for NU, in part because sophomore Adam Grossman struggled with injuries throughout this season. Grossman will not start today’s game for medical reasons — he came out of the Cats’ match against Northern Illinois on Oct. 28 experiencing “wooziness” after hitting his head against the post.
Since that match, senior defenseman Dan Doman has been impressive for NU, notching two goals and two assists in the last two games.
“Dan Doman has scored a couple of critical goals,” Lenahan said. “He’s playing like a senior getting ready to end his career.
“With seniors, there’s a sense of urgency in their play. (Doman and senior Grant Trimble) are playing their best soccer right now. Hopefully they can rally us a bit.”
Doman played in NU’s last victory, which came in the first round of the 1999 Big Ten tournament.
That year, the Cats were seeded fourth in the tournament and faced Wisconsin in the first round, winning 2-0. NU fell to Indiana in the second round, sparking the current winless streak.
But whether NU wins or loses today, it won’t be the last match of the season. If they fall to Penn State, the Cats will travel to Valparaiso on Sunday for one final regular season game.
Even with the Nittany Lions’ superior talent, NU will be ready for the game.
“There are areas where we can do better,” Lenahan said. “We can’t control what they do, but we can do what we do better.”
