There really wasn’t anywhere else to go but up.
The Northwestern men’s soccer team (3-4), which finished with one win in 2001 and none in 2000, is off to its best start since 1998, with three early-season wins – a fact NU head coach Tim Lenahan attributes to this year’s recruiting class.
“We have a lot of new players who chose to come to Northwestern with the expectations of playing for a good soccer program,” said Lenahan, now in his second year at NU. “They are here to rebuild the program, and I think that was the selling point.”
Lenahan’s first recruiting class was ranked 28th nationally by College Soccer News, and it’s impact has been immediate, with freshman striker Tito Lara and transfer goalkeeper J.D. Martin leading the squad.
Lara leads the Big Ten with three game-winning goals.
But the most telling statistics involve the Wildcats’ defense. With Martin in goal, NU has allowed an average of 1.49 goals against, compared with 3.09 from last season. Martin also has two shutouts.
“We’re certainly more talented, and the personality of the team is different as well,” Lenahan said. “Are we a finished program? Absolutely not.”
The veteran Martin also serves as one of NU’s captains, anchoring a squad that includes 13 freshmen. Lenahan said he looks to his starting goalkeeper to reinforce the lessons he teaches in practice.
Still, despite the apparent youth movement — the Cats have started as many as eight freshmen in a single match — Lenahan said he expects the rest of the upperclassmen to remain competitive as he searches for the right mix of experience and youth.
“The older players understand that there can be some success here,” Lenahan said. “But they have to contribute to the program, and maybe they can end their careers on a team with a winning record.”
The Cats will have an opportunity to even this year’s record today as they host Northern Illinois (2-6), a team they tied last season. A win would put an end to NU’s two-game losing streak, the team’s longest of the season. The Cats lost 2-1 to No. 22 Columbia and 3-0 to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
NU’s offense should stack up well against the Northern Illinois defense, which has had trouble holding leads late into the game. The Huskies have allowed eight goals in the second half and two in overtime, while four of the Cats’ five goals this season have come in the second half.
Like NU, the Huskies are also coming off of a loss. They were dominated 5-0 on Sunday by No. 12 Bradley, which defeated NU 3-0 earlier this season.
“We were disappointed with yesterday’s results (against Wisconsin-Milwaukee),” Lenahan said. “But against Columbia, a top-25 NCAA tournament team, we played very well in the first half.
“Right now, we’re a bit down, but with a young team we get our ups and our downs.”
NU (3-4) vs. Northern Illinois (2-6)
4 p.m., Today
Lakeside Field
Player to Watch: Freshman striker Tito Lara is leading the Big Ten with three game-winning goals
