DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Going for the Steal in Evanston
10/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
Oct. 5, 2010
CHICAGO - Here's the scenario for DePaul's next men's soccer match.
The Blue Demons walk onto Lakeside Field in Evanston on Wednesday night with little fanfare and pull off an upset of Northwestern.
It's the kind of sneak attack that would bring a smile to the face of DePaul soccer coach Craig Blazer.
"Last year we found a way to go up there and steal a game," Blazer said. "We realize it's going to be difficult because Northwestern is a national program.
"If we can get our guys fired up and executing on the same page, it's possible."
DePaul's freshmen-laden team might have learned something from last Saturday's 3-1loss to Villanova.
"We knew we had a lot of young, news guys this year," Blazer said. "But, you know what? Villanova has a young team, and they responded to that challenge with a tremendous amount of energy.
"It appeared we had that game in hand with a 1-0 lead at halftime. Villanova responded by stealing the momentum and the game from us.
"Our guys have a chance to learn from the teams they play against."
The Wildcats are 4-4-1 heading into the 7 p.m. match after a 1-1 tie against No. 22 Notre Dame and a 1-0 victory over Missouri State last week.
Led by Oliver Kupe's four goals, NU has outscored its opponents 14-9 and outshot them 125-103. The Wildcats have a 56-46 edge in shots on goal.
In his eight games between the pipes, goalkeeper Drew Kotler has given up four goals and has a goals-against average of 0.53 along with three shutouts.
"We need the guys to respond like Charlie Mancuso," Blazer said. "He's a fighter and a senior who comes to training every day looking to battle. He is an aggressive player---both mentally and physically.
"He didn't figure into our plans so much at the beginning of the season. But now, we need him in there because of the way he fights for everything.
"Charlie's a local guy (Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville). He knows what this rivalry game means."
The Blue Demons followed a loss to Creighton with a big win over another local rival, Loyola-Chicago. After losing to Eastern Illinois, they came back with a win over Drake. Then came a tough loss to West Virginia that was followed by a tie with Northern Illinois.
How will they follow up the loss to Villanova?
"When you talk about finding a way to win, our women's soccer program is a great example," Blazer said. "They have won three-straight games in overtime.
"You learn how to win games like that. The women have a formula of being competitive in every minute of the game and giving themselves a chance to win at the end.
"They are putting their opponents under a tremendous amount of pressure. That's when teams break down and make mistakes.
"It's so great what the women are doing, and that's exactly what we're trying to get across to our guys."
DePaul (3-5-1, 0-2-0 in the BIG EAST Conference) will be at Syracuse (1-5-3, 0-1-1) for a 6 p.m. BIG EAST match on Saturday.
The Orange has been outscored 16-5, outshot 147-93, and opponents have a 69-37 edge in shots on goal.