Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Men’s Soccer Notebook: Northwestern Prepares For 2025 Regular Season
8/18/2025 4:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
By: Jake Epstein, NUSports.com
After recently completing its two-game exhibition slate, Northwestern men's soccer will officially kick off its 2025 campaign in Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Thursday against Eastern Illinois at 6:30 p.m. CT. The matchup will be streamed on B1G+.
For Wildcats' head coach Russell Payne, now in his fifth season at the program's helm, the preseason provided pivotal glimpses into the foundations of this year's squad.
"We're still trying to figure out what are our best combinations and how we get our chemistry down," Payne said. "We have to keep working on fighting as a unit. They're going to get there, but it's going to take time."
Northwestern fielded 14 newcomers ahead of the 2025 season, with seven transfers and seven high school recruits. Players reported to Evanston in late July, where they participated in captains' practices and looked to build chemistry as a collective.
Payne called these early sessions a crucial first step in integrating the 10 summer additions, who followed four winter arrivals, to the team culture.
"You have to practice a little bit of patience," Payne said. "You've got to be empathetic to how they have to adapt, grow and learn. They're going to be frustrated, but as I told them, I'm not going to enable them, either. I'm going to stay on top of them, give them truth and challenge them."
On Thursday, the Wildcats will look to win their third consecutive season opener. As they make the shift from preseason preparations to regular season soccer, here are some key storylines around the program.
Volmar Relishes Return to Full Fitness
Junior defender Fritz Volmar had never experienced a season quite like the 2024 campaign in his career. Volmar sustained a lower-body injury while training with the U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team and began the preseason with significant limitations.
While he made 15 appearances and eight starts, Volmar didn't feel like himself throughout his second year with the Wildcats.
"This is one of the things I love doing the most, so it really hurt me to not be able to fully participate, be there for the guys and do what I did my first-year and want to do this year," Volmar said. "It really took a lot for me to just kind of stay with it. It was a day-by-day process."
Two seasons ago, Volmar showcased his immense potential during a standout first-year campaign. The Peoria, Ill., native started 16 matches, netted his first-career goal and earned a unanimous selection to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team.
He thrived on the opposite end of a fellow classmate, junior defender Bryant Mayer, with the two fortifying a young, yet especially capable outside back duo. Mayer, who tallied a team-high seven assists last season, said a fully-healthy Volmar will prove invaluable to the team.
"Fritz is an unbelievable player," Mayer said. "On the ball, off the ball, his work rate is just phenomenal. You know what he's going to bring every single game, and he has the ability to just walk through teams. When he's on, he's practically unguardable."
A smile has seldom left Volmar's face during his first two weeks of official practices. He said returning to his full capabilities on the training ground has been nothing short of amazing, and he's savored the chance to build camaraderie with his teammates.
"So far, from when we reported, I've really enjoyed being with this group," Volmar said. "We've learned a lot about each other. It's starting to really gel together and I'm just looking forward to what we have left."
With his offseason goal fulfilled of being fit and available for the start of preseason, Volmar carries lofty expectations into his third season with the Wildcats.
He came just one match short of a regular season conference title during his freshman year, and Volmar isn't keen to repeating that feeling.
"I want to win championships," Volmar said. "The biggest thing for me is to compete for the regular season championship, the tournament championship and the NCAA championship. We can start taking people by surprise and by storm."
Ponce de León Stacks Confidence Between the Sticks
Senior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León possesses the greatest vantage point on the field.
From his spot in the team's own box, Ponce de León sees it all — how plays develop and break down, how pivotal battles throughout the pitch shake out and the fine margins that separate wins and losses.
As a junior, Ponce de León established himself as Payne's first-choice goalkeeper in 2024. He kept five clean sheets, posting a 1.19 goals against average. Apart from an impressive entry into the stat sheet, Ponce de León saw his confidence soar as the season ran along.
"It was the first year I was called up to play in all the minutes, which was definitely a challenge," Ponce de León said. "Last season was a good progression. [It] took a little bit for me to really start settling myself in. UIC kind of turned it around. This year is the projection pad. [I'm] really excited about this year to come."
Ponce de León, who began his collegiate career at Villanova before transferring to Northwestern ahead of the 2023 season, served in a backup role to Jackson Weyman during his first campaign with the Wildcats.
The two keepers possess distinct styles, but Ponce de León said he learned countless lessons from his veteran mentor.
"He was really terrific in terms of his mentality with me," Ponce de León said of Weyman. "For me, it was just learning more from a maturity standpoint. I came in here pretty immature, and year by year, I've just been growing."
With Payne's background as a former professional goalkeeper, Ponce de León said he constantly looks to gain insight from a coach who once stood in a similar role as a starting college netminder. Ponce de León added that Payne demands more out of him than most coaches because he truly understands the goalkeeping position.
This year, Ponce de León is slotted between the sticks behind a combination of veteran returners and dynamic newcomers. Given his unparalleled vantage point, the goalkeeper feels he has valid reason for optimism with the regular season on the horizon.
"In the spring, we laid the seeds," Ponce de León said. "For the returners, it was our job to keep the standard high. These new guys have been nothing short of excellent. Their mentalities, their work ethic, just people in general, we've been extremely lucky to have them here."
After recently completing its two-game exhibition slate, Northwestern men's soccer will officially kick off its 2025 campaign in Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Thursday against Eastern Illinois at 6:30 p.m. CT. The matchup will be streamed on B1G+.
For Wildcats' head coach Russell Payne, now in his fifth season at the program's helm, the preseason provided pivotal glimpses into the foundations of this year's squad.
"We're still trying to figure out what are our best combinations and how we get our chemistry down," Payne said. "We have to keep working on fighting as a unit. They're going to get there, but it's going to take time."
Boys are back ?? pic.twitter.com/OvGPkgygzc
— Northwestern Men's Soccer (@NUMensSoccer) August 5, 2025
Northwestern fielded 14 newcomers ahead of the 2025 season, with seven transfers and seven high school recruits. Players reported to Evanston in late July, where they participated in captains' practices and looked to build chemistry as a collective.
Payne called these early sessions a crucial first step in integrating the 10 summer additions, who followed four winter arrivals, to the team culture.
"You have to practice a little bit of patience," Payne said. "You've got to be empathetic to how they have to adapt, grow and learn. They're going to be frustrated, but as I told them, I'm not going to enable them, either. I'm going to stay on top of them, give them truth and challenge them."
On Thursday, the Wildcats will look to win their third consecutive season opener. As they make the shift from preseason preparations to regular season soccer, here are some key storylines around the program.
Volmar Relishes Return to Full Fitness
Junior defender Fritz Volmar had never experienced a season quite like the 2024 campaign in his career. Volmar sustained a lower-body injury while training with the U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team and began the preseason with significant limitations.
While he made 15 appearances and eight starts, Volmar didn't feel like himself throughout his second year with the Wildcats.
"This is one of the things I love doing the most, so it really hurt me to not be able to fully participate, be there for the guys and do what I did my first-year and want to do this year," Volmar said. "It really took a lot for me to just kind of stay with it. It was a day-by-day process."
Two seasons ago, Volmar showcased his immense potential during a standout first-year campaign. The Peoria, Ill., native started 16 matches, netted his first-career goal and earned a unanimous selection to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team.
He thrived on the opposite end of a fellow classmate, junior defender Bryant Mayer, with the two fortifying a young, yet especially capable outside back duo. Mayer, who tallied a team-high seven assists last season, said a fully-healthy Volmar will prove invaluable to the team.
"Fritz is an unbelievable player," Mayer said. "On the ball, off the ball, his work rate is just phenomenal. You know what he's going to bring every single game, and he has the ability to just walk through teams. When he's on, he's practically unguardable."
A smile has seldom left Volmar's face during his first two weeks of official practices. He said returning to his full capabilities on the training ground has been nothing short of amazing, and he's savored the chance to build camaraderie with his teammates.
"So far, from when we reported, I've really enjoyed being with this group," Volmar said. "We've learned a lot about each other. It's starting to really gel together and I'm just looking forward to what we have left."
With his offseason goal fulfilled of being fit and available for the start of preseason, Volmar carries lofty expectations into his third season with the Wildcats.
He came just one match short of a regular season conference title during his freshman year, and Volmar isn't keen to repeating that feeling.
"I want to win championships," Volmar said. "The biggest thing for me is to compete for the regular season championship, the tournament championship and the NCAA championship. We can start taking people by surprise and by storm."
Ponce de León Stacks Confidence Between the Sticks
Senior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León possesses the greatest vantage point on the field.
From his spot in the team's own box, Ponce de León sees it all — how plays develop and break down, how pivotal battles throughout the pitch shake out and the fine margins that separate wins and losses.
As a junior, Ponce de León established himself as Payne's first-choice goalkeeper in 2024. He kept five clean sheets, posting a 1.19 goals against average. Apart from an impressive entry into the stat sheet, Ponce de León saw his confidence soar as the season ran along.
"It was the first year I was called up to play in all the minutes, which was definitely a challenge," Ponce de León said. "Last season was a good progression. [It] took a little bit for me to really start settling myself in. UIC kind of turned it around. This year is the projection pad. [I'm] really excited about this year to come."
Ponce de León, who began his collegiate career at Villanova before transferring to Northwestern ahead of the 2023 season, served in a backup role to Jackson Weyman during his first campaign with the Wildcats.
The two keepers possess distinct styles, but Ponce de León said he learned countless lessons from his veteran mentor.
"He was really terrific in terms of his mentality with me," Ponce de León said of Weyman. "For me, it was just learning more from a maturity standpoint. I came in here pretty immature, and year by year, I've just been growing."
With Payne's background as a former professional goalkeeper, Ponce de León said he constantly looks to gain insight from a coach who once stood in a similar role as a starting college netminder. Ponce de León added that Payne demands more out of him than most coaches because he truly understands the goalkeeping position.
This year, Ponce de León is slotted between the sticks behind a combination of veteran returners and dynamic newcomers. Given his unparalleled vantage point, the goalkeeper feels he has valid reason for optimism with the regular season on the horizon.
"In the spring, we laid the seeds," Ponce de León said. "For the returners, it was our job to keep the standard high. These new guys have been nothing short of excellent. Their mentalities, their work ethic, just people in general, we've been extremely lucky to have them here."
Players Mentioned
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