For a squad that hadn’t won at home since Nov. 4, 1999, the last thing the Northwestern men’s soccer team (4-4) expected was a full house.
But the Wildcats didn’t disappoint the standing-room-only crowd, cruising to a 2-0 win over Northern Illinois (2-7) and snapping a three-year home winless streak.
The victory ended NU’s two-game winless streak, its longest of the 2002 campaign.
Continuing the youthful trend — NU started seven freshmen — rookies Kevin Earnest and Alexander Renzi netted the first goals of their collegiate careers.
Earnest put the Cats up 1-0 when he capitalized on a Renzi corner kick with a header in the 25th minute.
“It’s a whole new outlook,” senior co-captain Steve Jedlinski said. “The bar’s rising, and it’s going to keep rising. Pretty soon, we’re going to be one of those teams.”
The Cats dominated the Huskies for the entire first half. NU’s defense, anchored by Jedlinksi and senior co-captain Paul Elkins , was especially effective, allowing Northern Illinois just one shot in the first 45 minutes.
“It was the best half we’ve ever had,” NU head coach Tim Lenahan said.
In the midfield, Earnest and freshman Dave Vargas, a speedy left winger, made full use of their quickness on the outside. The freshmen wings were crucial, as NU was having some trouble moving the ball up the middle.
“I think there was a mismatch of athleticism,” Lenahan said. “We took advantage of it, but I think we should have taken advantage of it more.”
Still, the Cats sealed the victory with Renzi’s one-touch dribbler in the 60th minute. Freshman striker Tito Lara, who had five shots on the afternoon, assisted on the two-on-one play.
But despite NU’s lead, the Huskies continued to press. Northern Illinois kept the ball in the Cats’ territory after the break.
“We were a little tired in the second half,” Lenahan said. “We were already up two goals, so we didn’t want to do anything that would put us at risk. At that point, it was just score management.”
The Huskies tallied four more shots, but put just one on goal, accounting for goalkeeper J.D. Martin’s only save of the match. Unable to put one past NU’s defense, Northern Illinois lost its composure, collecting two yellow cards in a 40-second span and 12 second-half fouls.
“J.D. does a great job managing the defense,” Lenahan said. “As a veteran goalkeeper, he does a good job cutting off opportunities. It’s what a good goalkeeper does.”
The win was Martin’s third shutout of the season.
For its conference opener on Sunday, NU hits the road to play Michigan State (5-2, 0-1 Big Ten).
“We’re facing a Michigan State team that is coming off a 6-1 spanking (from No. 5 Indiana on Sunday),” Jedlinski said. “We’re looking forward to getting back into the Big Ten mix.”
NU 2
NIU 0
