For 90 minutes the Northwestern men’s soccer team battled admirably with Louisville, and it seemed that they would answer every punch thrown by the Cardinals. Unfortunately, a bit of unluckiness put them down just too late in the match to muster a response.
With under four minutes remaining in the NCAA Tournament third round match, an own goal proved to be the game-winner in an entertaining 2-1 match that moved Louisville (14-5-1) onward and ended the season for the Wildcats (13-6-4).
Right from the start, the tempo was frenetic; both sides were getting great chances, and it didn’t take long for Louisville to capitalize. In just the third minute, Marlon Hairston had a chance inside the box, and he fired it past sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Miller and into the upper right corner.
The Wildcats, unfazed, equalized just moments later in the fifth minute. Junior defender Layth Masri sent a corner kick into the box, and senior midfielder Chris Ritter contacted it on a glancing header toward the goal. Senior defender Jarrett Baughman, who had only scored one other time in his career, headed it into the back of the net from point-blank range.
Both teams continued to create chances, but with fewer than 10 minutes remaining, the Cardinals began to make a late push. Dylan Mares had the ball inside the box with only Miller in front of him on what appeared to be a sure goal, but the Wildcat keeper sprinted out and dove at him, blocking the shot out of danger.
Louisville sensed that they had the ‘Cats on the ropes and took advantage. In an almost identical situation, Mares came in from the right side in the 87th minute and sent in a shot toward the opposite post. It got past Miller but appeared to be headed wide left before taking and unlucky deflection off of a sliding Northwestern defender and into the net. Mares sprinted toward the right sideline and was mobbed by teammates while the stunned Wildcats could only watch.
The Wildcats fought until the final whistle, but it wasn’t enough time to pull off the miracle. The loss marked an end to the careers of an incredibly successful Wildcat senior class that included Ritter, an All-Big Ten First Team honoree and Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Baughman, who was the recipient of All-Big Ten Second Team honors and the Sportsmanship Award.
The Wildcats amassed a 43-24-15 record over the last four years with the seniors, along with three NCAA Tournament berths and two visits to the Sweet Sixteen. Their success epitomizes the turnaround that the Wildcats have undergone over the past decade and a culture of winning that Wildcat fans shouldn’t expect to change anytime soon.