Sept. 26, 2007

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. - Freshman Matt Eliason's goal just over six minutes into the contest held up as the third-ranked Northwestern men's soccer team withstood a charge from local rival Loyola to earn a 1-0 win Wednesday afternoon at Lakeside Field.

The shutout win was the fifth straight for the Wildcats (7-0-1, 1-0 Big Ten), setting a new school record. It was Northwestern's first game played on its brand-new facility.

Just six minutes and four seconds into the match, Eliason was able to beat Rambler goalkeeper Brian Byrne for the game's lone score. Defender Drew Ratner deliver a perfect service from deep in Northwestern defensive third of the field for Eliason who was able to get behind the Loyola defense to notch his fourth goal of the season, tying him for the team lead.

The teams battled back and forth throughout the remainder of the match, but neither team was able to tally the rest of the way.

Northwestern needed every second of the 90-minute match to tick away, though, as the Ramblers nearly tied things up in the very final seconds.

The Wildcats were called for a foul 30 yards out with just three seconds left on the clock when the referee ruled that the clock should be stopped. The ensuing free kick found its way right in front of the Northwestern net, but Loyola was unable to deposit the tying goal in a mad scramble before the clock expired.

NU held a 13-8 advantage in the shot column, including a 9-4 edge in the first half. Misha Rosenthal made five saves to raise his shutout streak to a remarkable 497:15.

The Wildcats return to action at 6 p.m. Central time Saturday when the travel to Penn State for a contest that will be televised by the Big Ten Network.