Jake Epstein

Amid a morning run into Winnetka, reality struck me. No, it wasn’t a red-winged blackbird — at least not this time. Note to readers, the area due north of the Baháʼí Temple ought to be labeled bird alley. I’ve long been labeled crazy (among other things) for my habit of running with no music. It’s a fair criticism, but this practice affords me plenty of time in tune with my own thoughts.

EVANSTON, Ill. (September 19, 2025) — Minutes after the final whistle solidified Northwestern's 2-1 victory over Rutgers on Friday evening at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, players and coaches alike remained in utter disbelief. While Aaron O'Reilly and Alejandro Martinez Santamaria gave the Wildcats (5-2-1, 1-1 B1G) an early 2-0 cushion, Northwestern clung to a one-goal lead in the closing five minutes.

Northwestern men’s soccer coach Russell Payne contends that he narrowly advanced past his preliminary Zoom interviews in the spring of 2021. Before Payne took on a dream job in the Big Ten, the former Army West Point coach met with then-interim athletic director Janna Blais for a virtual sit down. Payne said the former UConn softball star threw him a barrage of hard-hitting inquiries, testing each element of Payne’s program vision. “(Blais) grilled me,” Payne said.