Northwestern took on two teams in the Lakeside Classic over the weekend, triumphing over both Saint Mary’s and Fairleigh Dickinson. The Wildcats (6-1-0) defeated the Gaels 3-0 Friday and continued their success with a 2-1 victory against the Knights on Sunday.
Sophomore forward Joey Calistri continued his run of great form by scoring another goal in the victory over Saint Mary’s.
“I was thinking the defender was going to clear it, but he misplayed it a little,” Calistri said. “I got a chance to get in, which was a bit lucky, but I made the most of it.”
Even coach Tim Lenahan thought the shot was lucky.
“The third goal was a bit of a mistake, and you can’t make a mistake with Joey Calistri,” Lenahan said.
Prior to Calistri’s goal — his seventh of the season — senior midfielder Chris Ritter and junior defender Grant Wilson scored the other two goals for the Cats. It’s not every day a defender, midfielder and forward all score in one game.
“We think that defending is most important and that leads to our attacking,” sophomore defender Sagar Jambusaria said. “Having someone from every position score just shows the kind of team that we are and how we battle for each other. It’s not just the forwards working for goals, but it’s also the midfielders and the defense.”
The victory on Friday also marked another shutout for the Wildcats, their fifth consecutive game without conceding a goal. Jambusaria and the defense came in and made some precise, clean interventions against the Gaels’ offense.
Freshman midfielder Brandon Medina had a stellar weekend, with two assists against the Gaels on Friday and a goal against the Knights on Sunday.
“(The Knights) were very composed and intelligent,” Medina said. “They were one of the best teams I’ve played all my life.”
The score put the Cats up 1-0 in the 49th minute, but Fairleigh Dickinson’s forward Simon Doherty equalized for the Knights in the 57th minute.
Ritter reappeared on the score sheet as he scored a penalty kick against the Knights in the 62nd minute to claim victory for NU.
This weekend’s pair of victories included the Cats’ first home wins of the season. Although NU allowed its first goal since the season opener, the Cats continue to buff up their win column.
Saturday unleashes Big Ten play as NU faces off against Michigan in Ann Arbor. Lenahan said the Wolverines (2-2-2) and other conference opponents will pose new challenges the Cats have yet to face this season.
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