With his team’s six wins, six losses and five ties on the season, Tim Lenahan is hoping his squad wins its final game of the year — and not just for the usual reasons.
“I’d be afraid to get a tie,” Lenahan said “It would give us kind of a weird record.”
So far, the Northwestern soccer team has been content with ties, at least in its Big Ten games. But the Wildcats (6-6-5, 0-3-2) will get their final chance for a conference win on Sunday, when they take on Wisconsin (9-9-0, 1-4-0).
A win would mark NU’s first conference victory since Nov. 12, 1999, when the Cats defeated the Badgers 2-0 in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Although the Cats are hoping to win Sunday, NU has already turned in one of the best years in the program’s history. In 13 seasons in the Big Ten, NU has compiled a 4-62-2 record, with both ties coming in 2003.
Just two years ago, the Cats were regularly outplayed, outshot and outmaneuvered, Lenahan said. But now the Cats are even with their opponent in nearly every statistical category.
The Cats have taken just 20 fewer shots than their opponents, a far cry from 2001 when NU was outshot 300-123.
“We feel pretty confident we can play with anyone,” Lenahan said.
To give the Cats an extra edge Sunday, Lenahan gave his players an extra day off this week to mend their aches and pains.
The break marked the first time since practice began Aug. 13 that NU had back-to-back off days.
Like the rest of the Big Ten, the Cats are tired after playing as many as three games in one week.
“We played a lot of overtime games,” Lenahan said. That can take its toll on you.”
With the Cats trying to get a conference win, Lenahan will tweak his team’s alignment slightly. Instead of trying to evaluate talent, Lenahan plans to leave his strongest players on the field.
That includes senior Jeremy Cook, who will be playing his final game at the Thomas Sports Complex. Cook, who joined the team as walk on in 2000, has never won a conference game. Sunday’s match will be his last regular-season chance.
“I think now, at home, this is the time to do it for him,” Vargas said. “I know he’d really love it.”
Cook, who is one of just two seniors on the team, said he’s looking forward to a win Sunday.
“If we lose and it’s the last game it’s going to be sad,” he said “But if we win, the fact that we win a Big Ten game will pretty much override it.
Should the Cats win, however, Cook won’t have much time to celebrate with his teammates. He’s already planning for life after graduation.
“I’m going to be driving home with my parents for a medical school interview,” he said.
