Northwestern men’s soccer coach Tim Lenahan has been taking notes from men’s basketball coach Bill Carmody.

As NU enters today’s matchup with Illinois-Chicago, it will continue to utilize a defensive style that Lenahan has likened to the guarded play of Princeton’s basketball team, which Carmody used to coach.

“We’ve chosen to make the games tight,” Lenahan said. “We decide that. We’ve controlled the tempo of the game.”

The Wildcats (5-7, 0-3 Big Ten) have held opponents to 15 goals in 12 games this season, buoyed by the efforts of goalkeeper J.D. Martin.

And the defense will need to continue its strong play against Illinois-Chicago, whose potent offense is averaging 2.2 goals per game. The Flames are led by sophomore Patrick Grange, who has seven goals on the season.

Illinois-Chicago (5-6-2) is coming off back-to-back wins, including a 5-2 victory over Cleveland State on Oct. 13.

Lenahan said the Flames’ offensive mindset will provide a tough match for his more defense-oriented team when they face each other today at 3 p.m. at Flames Field.

“They’re a run-and-gun team,” he said. “They’re the opposite of us. They like the game wide open.”

Lenahan said the Cats’ chances depend on their ability to dominate the pace of the game.

“We’re trying to keep the game under tighter control,” Lenahan said. “We don’t want to get into a shootout with them. A one-goal shutout would be perfect for us. Hopefully, we can control the tempo.”

NU’s offense currently stands last in the Big Ten, having scored nine goals and only one in conference play. Freshman Jaro Pylypczak netted that goal in the Cats’ 2-1 loss to Penn State on Oct. 4.

Nevertheless, Pylypczak said that it’s just a matter of time before the NU offense heats up. Meanwhile, if the Cats stick to their game plan, one goal should be enough.

“All you need is one goal a game to win,” Pylypczak said.

NU should have a better opportunity to convert on its chances with a freshman, Ross Cain, in goal for the Flames. Cain is averaging 2.18 goals allowed per game.

The Cats are coming off a tough 1-0 road loss in their last conference game against No. 4 Indiana on Oct. 13. The Hoosiers outshot the Cats 20-6, but Martin’s eight saves kept NU in the game.

Senior defender and co-captain Steve Jedlinski said the Cats did everything they planned on against the Hoosiers, but just came up short.

Jedlinski said the Cats’ strategy against Illinois-Chicago will resemble their approach to the Indiana game.

“We’re going to play them pretty similarly to how we did Indiana,” Jedlinski said. “We’re going to try to control the tempo of the game.”

But after a game with a top-tier team, there is always the risk of a mental letdown, Lenahan said.

“We put a lot of energy and emotion into that (Indiana) game,” he said. “We played well. (This) is an important game for us to see if we can get something rolling over the next few weeks.”

Jedlinski hopes the team will enter the game with the same intensity it did against the Hoosiers, but he said it won’t be easy.

“It’s a midweek game. It’s a little harder to get up for it,” Jedlinski said.

Still, with a three-game homestand approaching, Jedlinski is optimistic about the remainder of the season.

“The last seven games are all winnable, and we’re trying to start with a win here,” Jedlinski said.