DEKALB – The NIU women's soccer team (4-7-3, 3-3-1 MAC) played Akron (3-9-3, 0-4-3 MAC) to a 0-0 draw Friday night as neither team could find the back of the net in 110 minutes of play.
 
The Huskies outshot the Zips 16-7 as NIU took more shots than Akron in all but one period with NIU recording six shots on goal and Akron with two shots on goal.
 
"Right from the get-go we controlled the pace of the game with our defense," Head Coach John Ross said. "As the game went on they got a couple of opportunities with some big balls but we were able to able to shut down what they were trying to do and create offense out of it.
 
The best scoring opportunities for each team came late in the game. In the 85^th minute, Akron's Catie Corrigan ripped a shot from outside of the box but NIU keeper Amy Annala (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) dove to her left to make the save and keep the game scoreless.
 
In the 98^th minute of the first overtime, Taylor Sarver (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) broke behind the Akron defense and took a shot at the far post but the goalie for the Zips, Annabelle Hegeman had her turn to make a diving save and keep the game scoreless.
 
With all of the opportunities to score, NIU Head Coach John Ross would have liked to seen better execution.
 
"We could have done a better job recognizing when to go end line and drive in, when to get numbers into the box or when to just recycle it and try to be dangerous from 25 or 30 yards out with a shots or getting players through," Ross said.
 
NIU will finish up their home schedule this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. as they host Buffalo for Senior Day.