The game looked headed for another scoreless stalemate. But with only three minutes left in regulation, Northwestern finally broke through. The 87th-minute strike gave the Wildcats the only goal they would need, sealing a dramatic 1-0 victory over Xavier in Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Following a progressive momentum throughout the second half, it was Alejandro Martinez Samataria who found a gap on the left side and threaded the ball across the field through traffic. First-year forward Omar Jallow,
who had been lively since coming off the bench, leaped above the defense and snapped a powerful header into the left side of the net.
Kicking off the game, Xavier wasted no time setting the tone with its physical play, pressing NU high and testing goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de Leon within seven minutes. Musketeers forward Cooper Forcellini launched a deep shot toward the right post, but the Wildcats’ keeper handled it confidently.
Northwestern tried to punch back with flashes of its own. In the 13th minute, Aaron O’Reilly nearly caught the Musketeers off guard when he picked off a misplaced goal kick and launched a quick strike from distance. Xavier keeper Jonny Mennell reacted just in time to recover.
Minutes later, Northwestern’s Andrew Johnson uncorked a long-range effort of his own that Mennell parried away, and Peter Riesz narrowly missed with a header from a corner.
The match’s first major twist came at the half-hour mark. Xavier midfielder Gun Ha Lee was initially shown a yellow for a reckless challenge that clipped Nigel Prince’s leg. After video review, the booking was upgraded to a red card, leaving the Musketeers down a man for the remainder of the contest.
With the advantage, Northwestern surged forward. Joe Suchecki nearly connected with Italo Addimandi in the box during the 35th minute and Johnson had a pair of blocked shots shortly after. Despite the man advantage and mounting pressure, the Wildcats couldn’t find the opener before halftime.
Xavier did manage to slip the ball into the net off a set piece, but the goal was waived off after a review confirmed offside. The Wildcats escaped into the break still level.
Northwestern controlled possession out of the locker room and crafted several high-quality chances to begin the second half. In the 53rd minute, Prince pinged a long ball to Johnson on the left flank, who crossed to Suchecki and then to Riesz for a shot that Mennell saved.
The Musketeers’ keeper continued to frustrate the Wildcats, making a crucial stop on Samataria just minutes later. NU kept the ball circulating around the box, forcing Xavier onto its heels.
Chances piled up for the Cats. Fritz Volmar’s curling shot just wide at 62’; Gajadhar’s strike after dribbling through traffic that Mennell stopped; and Samataria’s golden one-on-one chance in the 65th that clanged off the right post.
Even when Bryant Mayer forced a late corner at the 76th, Prince’s bouncing header slipped through Mennell’s gloves, but no Wildcat was able to pounce on the rebound.
It looked like the story of another frustrating night.
But in the 87th, NU’s persistent progression finally paid off. Samataria picked out Jallow with a perfectly timed ball and the freshman delivered with a powerful header. Northwestern closed out the final minutes to preserve the clean sheet and secure a statement road win.
With their third victory of the season, the Wildcats improve to a 3-1-1 record and now shift focus to open Big Ten play at UCLA on Sept. 12.
