In their final matchup of the year the Wildcats (6-6-4, 3-4-3 B1G) closed out their season with a 3-1 win at home against No. 13 Wisconsin (10-3-4, 3-3-4 B1G), their second victory against a top-15 opponent this season.
Entering the game, Northwestern was already out of the Big Ten Tournament due to its loss to Ohio State on Nov. 1, but Wisconsin still had hope, needing a win against the ‘Cats and some help from other teams to secure it a spot.
However, the Wildcats quickly proved they weren’t going
to give up a win easily, no matter how badly the Badgers wanted it. With a hat trick by senior Peter Riesz in his final game as a Wildcat, and six saves by goalie Dominic Pereira, the ‘Cats were able to come from behind and stun the Badgers and their tournament hopes, taking down Wisconsin for the first time since October 2021.
Opening up the game, the Badgers were ready to start fast, as they recorded the first shot in the fourth minute, off the foot of Wilmette local Markie Hrvojevic, though the attempt missed the mark. From there, it remained quiet on shots until the 14th minute, when Wisconsin’s Emile Kisse shot wide of the goal after a diving tip by Pereira. From there it was back and forth between the teams, including a blast from NU’s Bryant Mayer that was saved.
The continued stalemate between the two teams came to an end in the 33rd minute when Wisconsin got the first goal after an Aiden Martinez cross resulted in a Roman Eisa header, which found the back of the net, putting the No. 13 team up in the first half.
Minutes later it seemed that the ‘Cats were able to tie the game up, only for the game-tying goal by Aaron O’Reilly to be called back due to a foul in the buildup. In the minutes before half, the ‘Cats had another opportunity to equalize when a corner from Tre Barrett almost found the net, but barely went over the goal. Going into the half, the red and white were up 1-0, having outshot the Wildcats 5-3.
At the start of the second half, the Badgers maintained their momentum on goal. Wisco threatened the net, but the ’Cats kept them out of goal, with Pereira coming up with a huge point-blank save of Martinez.
With the Badgers in striking distance, the Wildcats needed to strike and in the 58th minute they finally did that with a penalty kick following a Wisconsin foul inside the 18-yard box. It was Riesz who was able to crush the ball into the net and tie things up for the purple and white.
As soon as the Wildcats scored, there was continued pressure from there, with three ‘Cats forcing saves out of Wisconsin just minutes later. Eventually, the continued pressure came to fruition, as the ‘Cats cashed in again in the 70th minute when Riesz smashed a right-footed attempt from 15 yards out with assists from Ethan Nakolo and Seth Mahlmeister.
The Wildcats were now on top, 2-1, but continued to play like they were behind with the amount of pressure they continued to put on the Badgers. In the 78th, the final goal of the match was scored by Riesz, his third of the day, after another penalty kick was rewarded to the team. This gave NU a safe cushion against any late-game pressure Wisconsin could give the ‘Cats.
The Wildcats ended the second half outshooting the Badgers 19-11 after trailing 5-3 in the first half. Though the season ended for the Wildcats, a closure like this shows that this can be a competitive team, with potential to be a force in the Big Ten Tournament in the coming 2027 season.
