The 10 freshman and sophomore starters in the lineup could have been intimidated, playing in their first Big Ten contest of the year and, in some cases, their careers. Instead, a primed and eager Northwestern mens soccer team (3-2-4, 0-0-1 Big Ten) notched its first non-loss in Big Ten conference play since the 1999 season, dueling Michigan State (4-2-2, 0-0-2) to a 1-1 double-overtime draw Sunday at the Leonard B. Thomas sports complex.
A crowd of more than 150 overflowed the metal bleachers and were rewarded with a back-and-forth match that featured many scoring chances but few goals. Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Heckenbach had five big saves and shut down the Spartans after giving up an early goal, while freshman striker Gerardo Alvarez scored the Wildcats’ lone tally with 10 minutes gone in the second half.
His goal marked a continuation of the tear that last week earned him Big Ten Player of the Week honors and has gone a long way towards propelling the Cats through their recent five-game unbeaten streak. By emerging with a draw from their fifth overtime contest in only nine games this year, the Cats continued one streak and ended another — more than three years of Big Ten futility.
While the Spartans controlled the middle of the field early in the game, leading to John Minagawa-Webster’s goal off a header in the 14th minute, momentum shifted in the Cats favor later in the first half and into the second half. The culmination came in the form of Alvarez’s head redirecting a short cross from sophomore midfielder Adam Sirois into the right corner of the net past the Spartan keeper.
“In practice nine times out of 10, (Alvarez) misses that ball,” said third-year Northwestern coach Tim Lenahan. “But that’s what finishers do, it takes just one instant for them to score.”
Lenahan also praised substitute Dave Brown, who received credit for the other assist on Alvarez’s goal.
“Dave Brown did a great job, and he still doesn’t have his fitness. He gave us some of the energy that this team needed today, ” Lenahan said.
Brown checked in for Alvarez late in the first half, immediately winning a 50-50 ball and jumpstarting what had been a relatively passive Wildcats attack. Alvarez scored promptly upon his return to the game in the second half, the goal engineered by Brown’s initial run up the left sideline. Although he refused to call himself a sparkplug, Brown’s presence during his scant 25 minutes on the field ignited both the Cats offense and the crowd. The freshman striker instead attributed the team’s new energy levels to the excitement of playing a Big Ten match.
“This game was definitely more intense than any we’ve had,” Brown said. “No one even went out and partied Friday night.”
