The Northwestern’s men’s club soccer team needed two wins to reach the regional playoffs.
Well, there’s always the winter indoor season.
A weekend split in Big Rapids, Mich., wasn’t enough to propel the team into the regional playoffs.
The Wildcats started strong, defeating a “very beatable” Ferris State squad 3-0 on goals from sophomore Octave Lapeyronie and seniors Brandon Wojcik and Matthew Cozza.
It was an easy win, but the weather made the field more liquid than solid, and the conditions tired the Cats before their second match of the weekend.
They ran into trouble the next day against the division-leading Western Michigan Broncos, who controlled the match.
“They were fresh because it was their first game of the weekend,” Northwestern club president Cozza said. “We played hard but we were pretty much on the defensive the whole game.”
The Cats fell 4-1, knocking them out of playoff contention. Their only goal came in exciting fashion, when Lapeyronie buried the ball in the back of the net on a corner kick.
The team finished with a 5-5-2 record, and players were not disappointed, considering their late start compared to the other teams in the division.
“We played well overall,” Cozza said, “There were only one or two games that should have gone differently.”
Finishing up
Unlike the men’s team, the women’s club team is not part of a league and doesn’t have a postseason tournament. Their season ends on Saturday, when they take on the Valparaiso junior varsity squad.
The match will give the Cats a chance to measure their skills against a more competitive opponent.
Senior Hillary King said she’s pleased with the team’s performance and foresees continued success for the Cats.
“We had an amazing time,” she said. “We’ve got a great group of girls, with a lot of sophomores and juniors, and we should be as good or better in the years to come.”
Let’s get it started
There’s early speculation that this might be the year NU’s basketball team finally gets invited to the Big Dance. And that optimism has trickled down to the club team.
Coming off a year marked by inconsistency and disorganization, players said they are confident this season will be much better.
“We’re looking great,” junior Cheick Sanankoua said. “Everybody’s been working hard and practicing. This is our best team since I’ve been here.”
Although many of last season’s players didn’t return, tryouts proved fruitful for the Cats, with new recruits ranging from a group of experienced freshmen to a transfer who played Division II basketball.
“All of the guys played in high school,” Sanankoua said. “And most could have played in Division II or III.”
Players said they are looking to avenge losses to teams including Robert Morris’ junior varsity team and Harper College, which have beaten them handily in the past.
The Cats’ quest starts Saturday against Oakton Community College, a team they scrimmaged last year.
Club president Sanankoua’s praise for his players mimics NU’s reputation: “They all have high basketball IQs.”
Reach David Morrison at [email protected].
