Trio Of ‘Cats Land On Big Ten Players To Watch List
8/19/2025 1:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Gajadhar, Prince, Volmar recognized ahead of regular season
EVANSTON, Ill. (August 19, 2025) – Northwestern University men's soccer student-athletes Jason Gajadhar (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Bill Crothers Secondary), Nigel Prince (Atlanta, Ga./Forsyth Academy), and Fritz Volmar (Peoria, Ill./Laurel Springs) have been named to the Big Ten Conference's Players to Watch List, it was announced on Tuesday by the league office.
Prince was again a fixture along the backline for head coach Russell Payne's team last season, starting in all 17 games and contributing to six shutouts en route to earning Second Team All-Big Ten Conference accolades. The Atlanta, Ga. native also made his mark in the final third, tallying the game-winning goal in a 1-0 blanking of Marquette (Sept. 9) before levying the tying goal as part of a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind win at Rutgers (Oct. 11).
A 2023 selection to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team, Volmar battled through a preseason injury to make 15 appearances last season, eight of which came in a starting role. The 6-foot-0 defender played a full 90 minutes in four contests and dished out an assist in a 4-0 rout of Trine (Oct. 6).
Gajadhar started in each of Northwestern's first three games last year, all Wildcat victories, before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. Prior to being sidelined, the Toronto, Ontario native has been a key midfield cog for the 'Cats, starting in 29 of his 34 career appearances, while registering five goals and three assists.
In addition to the Players to Watch List, the Big Ten also unveiled the results of its Preseason Coaches' Poll. Indiana, which earned a share of its 35th regular season league crown in 2024, topped the poll. Maryland checked in second, while Ohio State, which shared the regular season title with the Hoosiers, rounded out the top three.
Northwestern raises the curtain on its 2025 campaign on Thursday, August 21, as it welcomes Eastern Illinois to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
Prince was again a fixture along the backline for head coach Russell Payne's team last season, starting in all 17 games and contributing to six shutouts en route to earning Second Team All-Big Ten Conference accolades. The Atlanta, Ga. native also made his mark in the final third, tallying the game-winning goal in a 1-0 blanking of Marquette (Sept. 9) before levying the tying goal as part of a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind win at Rutgers (Oct. 11).
A 2023 selection to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team, Volmar battled through a preseason injury to make 15 appearances last season, eight of which came in a starting role. The 6-foot-0 defender played a full 90 minutes in four contests and dished out an assist in a 4-0 rout of Trine (Oct. 6).
Gajadhar started in each of Northwestern's first three games last year, all Wildcat victories, before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. Prior to being sidelined, the Toronto, Ontario native has been a key midfield cog for the 'Cats, starting in 29 of his 34 career appearances, while registering five goals and three assists.
In addition to the Players to Watch List, the Big Ten also unveiled the results of its Preseason Coaches' Poll. Indiana, which earned a share of its 35th regular season league crown in 2024, topped the poll. Maryland checked in second, while Ohio State, which shared the regular season title with the Hoosiers, rounded out the top three.
Northwestern raises the curtain on its 2025 campaign on Thursday, August 21, as it welcomes Eastern Illinois to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
Players Mentioned
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