Eagles Fall to Northwestern

September 5, 2025

The Emmaus University men's soccer team (2-1) returned to Jack Fish Field on Friday afternoon, facing off against the University of Northwestern (Minn.). Despite a strong start and a first-half equalizer, the Eagles ultimately fell by a score of 5–1.

After withstanding early pressure, goalkeeper Tucker Kapas came up big with a flurry of saves to keep Emmaus in the game. The Eagles found their breakthrough in the 35th minute when Claudius Holzman buried a shot inside the box, finishing off an assist from Bennett Kreiner with an additional touch from Jake Matte. The goal leveled the match at 1–1.

Northwestern regained the lead just before halftime and extended their advantage with three more goals in the second half. Tucker Kapas stood tall between the posts, registering an impressive 17 saves against a 39-shot attack.

Coach Mchugh shared how this match was a good challenge for the team moving forward. "UNW is a good team, and so today was a really good test for us, to see where we are currently, and what we need to improve on as the season progresses. Their athleticism presented challenges, as they were quick to close us down and we did not have any extra time on the ball to make decisions. And then their attacking movement is very dynamic, and so they definitely challenged our communication and defensive positioning."

The Eagles head next to Ripon, Wisconsin to face off against the Red Hawks at 4:00 on Tuesday, September 9. Ripon is 2-1-1 on the season and prevailed over the Eagles in their last meeting in 2024, winning 2-0.