After days of suffering in the Big Ten slate, the ‘Cats made a statement on Friday.
Northwestern (7-5-3, 2-4-2 B1G) earned its second Big Ten win and first ranked victory of the season, upsetting No. 17
Indiana (11-5-1, 4-5-0 B1G) 2-0 on Saturday despite holding just 40% possession and getting dominated on pace throughout the first half. Not only does the team avenge a frustrating 1-6 loss from last year, but the triumph also marked the highest-ranked win in Coach Russell Payne’s era since 2021.
“We’ve been playing this way,” Payne said, referencing Northwestern’s pattern throughout October of creating chances but struggling to convert. “And we finally rewarded ourselves by finishing our chances and keeping a zero at the back.”
The Hoosiers controlled the opening 45 minutes and created several dangerous opportunities. In the seventh minute, Clay Murrador received a long ball from the back and battled through two Northwestern defenders before finding an angle and firing at goal. ‘Cats goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de Leon came up with the save to keep Indiana off the board.
Five minutes later, IU’s Jacopo Fedrizzi added another threat, dribbling downfield and unleashing a dangerous shot that drifted just wide of the target.
Indiana continued to dominate possession while the ‘Cats struggled to win the ball back and organize any sustained attacks. Off a corner in the 19th minute, the ball stayed alive in Northwestern’s box, allowing Beckin Minzey to blast a shot that flew high over the crossbar. Indiana maintained pressure with another long ball that created a chance, but Charlie Heurer’s effort went slightly wide.
The Hoosiers kept building momentum through three consecutive corners, though the offensive stretch ultimately ended with an offside call.
Northwestern registered its second shot of the game in the 40th minute when Peter Riesz tested Indiana goalkeeper Holden Brown, who made the save. Senior forward Alejandro Martinez Santamaria followed with another strike moments later.
In the final minute before halftime, Indiana pushed for a breakthrough with another corner, but Ponce de Leon denied the effort to keep the match scoreless heading into the break.
The ‘Cats emerged from the locker room with renewed energy and started winning more possession. Riesz led the charge early in the second half with a shot that rolled just wide of the target.
Indiana soon reclaimed their possession advantage and pace, but the ‘Cats maintained their hunger to find a breakthrough. Martinez Santamaria drove into the box and fired toward the left side. Brown deflected it away, but the play resulted in a corner for the ‘Cats.
Northwestern capitalized on the set piece in the 60th minute. Martinez Santamaria rose to meet Bryant Mayer’s header from the far post, nodding the ball home to break the deadlock and give the ‘Cats a 1-0 lead.
“I just do my thing. I just put my head down. I don’t care who I’m playing against,” Martinez Santamaria said.
After defending the Hoosiers’ ensuing possession, Northwestern pushed forward again with Jason Gajadhar dribbling through the midfield to lead the offense. He drove to the right post and forced another corner with his shot.
Five minutes later, the ‘Cats doubled their lead. Ponce de Leon launched a precise goal kick that found Riesz beyond the midfield circle. Riesz leapt to contest the ball and won the aerial duel, flicking it forward to a darting Aaron O’Reilly, who had beaten his marker. The first-year forward ripped through Indiana’s backline and rocketed the ball home to make it 2-0.
Just one minute later, Northwestern nearly added a third goal. O’Reilly drove through traffic and found Martinez Santamaria on the left, whose cross created chaos in the box. Joe Suchecki recovered the loose ball and blasted it off the crossbar — the ball bounced down under the bar but didn’t cross the goal line.
Indiana tried to cut the deficit in the 70th minute, firing three shots during one sequence. Northwestern’s defensive line stood firm with two consecutive blocks before Ponce de Leon made the final denial.
“(We) were holding each other to such a high standard,” Ponce de Leon said, who collected six saves that night. “I have some moments where I came up big. But to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much of a defensive effort from the entire group.”
With 10 minutes remaining, Indiana pushed again as Colton Swan struck from the left while the backline was retreating. Ponce de Leon preserved his fifth clean sheet of the season with a diving save to deflect the ball clear.
Northwestern held on through the final minutes to secure its first top-25 win of the season. The ‘Cats will face Wisconsin for their final road game on November 4 at 7 p.m. CT.
