Final Stats

DEKALB, Ill. -- For the second time in as many matches, sophomore defender Luke Read (Ilford, England/Barking Abbey School) scored in the final minutes as the Northern Illinois University men’s soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over Stetson on Sunday afternoon at the NIU Soccer Complex.

With the win, NIU improves to 3-1-0 on the season and is crowned co-champions of the NIU adidas Invitational along with Loyola-Chicago. The Ramblers defeated Florida Atlantic in Sunday’s first match, 1-0, to give both NIU and Loyola 2-0 records for the tournament.

Read, senior goalkeeper Andrew Glaeser (Walla Walla, Wash./Walla Walla/Oregon State), junior midfielder Albert Levett (Southend-on-Sea, England/Belfairs High) and freshman midfielder Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) were named to the NIU adidas Invitational All-Tournament Team.

“We had a decent performance today,” said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi. “It wasn’t our best but it was the first time we had played Friday-Sunday, so we knew it would be difficult for the guys to get up for a second game in 36 hours. I think there is room for a more cutthroat mentality in the attack. We had a fair amount of the ball, some half-chance, some decent chances, but there is room for growth in that area.

“There is a lot to be said for a team that finds a way to win. In the past couple of years we have had similar games where we have not won and this group has done very well to find ways to win.”

The Huskies had a chance to open the scoring in the first minute as Rodriguez played freshman Giovanni Pacheco (Pasadena, Texas/Pasadena) in behind the Stetson defense but Pacheco pushed his shot just wide.

NIU earned a penalty kick in the 16th minute as junior Cody Witkowski was (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) taken down in the box. Witkowski stepped up to take the penalty himself but was denied by Stetson goalkeeper Paul Ladwig.

Glaeser was called upon for the first time in the contest in the 37th minute when a combination play down the left side by the Hatters led to a chance for Joseph Alamo, but the Huskie senior goalkeeper smothered the shot and the game went into the intermission scoreless.

After the break the Huskies started quickly. Read tested Ladwig with a chance in the 49th minute and senior Taylor Cole (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central/St. John's) had a half-volley opportunity in the 54th minute but Ladwig made that save as well to keep the game deadlocked.

NIU continued to generate the majority of the chances and freshman Nixon Urrutia (Houston, Texas/Dobie) had a chance to open the scoring in the 67th minute. Urrutia’s header at the back post went high as the Huskies and Hatters continued to look for the opening goal.

In the 76th minute, Stetson (2-3-1) was reduced to 10 men as Jeppe Moe was given his second yellow card of the contest.

With the man advantage, NIU continued to apply more pressure in the late stages of the match. Read scored what appeared to be the opening goal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick, but the referee whistled the Huskies for a foul. Two minutes later, Witkowski had a shot right side palmed away by Ladwig in the Stetson goal.

The Huskies finally got the breakthrough in the 88th minute as Read slotted home the opening goal from inside the six-yard box. On a play that started from a throw-in, freshman Adrian Coardos (Evanston, Ill./Niles North) found Read in the box and the sophomore defender made no mistake in slipping the shot past Ladwig and into the net for his second game-winning goal of the weekend.

For Coardos the assist was the first of his collegiate career. Glaeser made three saves while picking up his second clean sheet of the weekend and third of the season.

The Huskies will return to action next Friday, Sept. 18, when they travel to Milwaukee to take on Marquette. Game time against the Golden Eagles is scheduled for 7 p.m.


NIU adidas Invitational All-Tournament Team
Luke Read, NIU
Andrew Glaeser, NIU
Albert Levett, NIU
Kevin Rodriguez, NIU
Eric Schoendorf, Loyola
Matthieu Braem, Loyola
Kyle Thomson, Loyola
Ben Crognale, Loyola
Paul Ladwig, Stetson
Ian McCauley, Stetson
Aaron Laranetto, FAU
Daniel Montoya, FAU