CATONSVILLE, Md. – Sophomore Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) scored from the penalty spot as the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw at Maryland-Baltimore County on Sunday afternoon at Retriever Soccer Park. 

"UMBC is a good team, they are very athletic, they are big and they have a lot of outstanding individual players," said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi. "I thought our guys dealt with all of that very well, I thought at times, when we were 11-v-11, we limited their chances extremely well. I thought we were a little hard done by with the red card late in the game and at that point the focus changes a little bit.

"In that last stretch, even a man down, we still continued to create chances. On the whole, I am disappointed that we didn't get all three points, because we created enough chances to do that. But I am pleased with the performance and we will take a point at a difficult place to play."

Huskie sophomore sophomore Nixon Urrutia (Houston, Texas/Dobie) received a red card early in overtime as NIU played the rest of the match with 10 men. 

NIU created the first opportunity on goal as sophomore Max Voss (Huls, Germany/ Staedtisches Gymnasium Herten) slipped a pass to sophomore Noah Brodie (Scottsdale, Ariz./Carbondale Community) just inside the box and his shot forced UMBC goalkeeper Billy Heavner down to his right to make a save in the 12th minute. 

Brodie turned provider in the 27th minute as his cross found the head of Rodriguez, but the sophomore's header flashed wide as the game remained scoreless. 

In the 35th minute, senior Richard Hall (Billericay, England/The Billericay School) found freshman Ethan Pitre (Minneapolis, Minn./Prairie Seeds Academy) with a cross inside the area but the Huskie midfielder was unable to redirect his header on frame. 

UMBC's first attempt at goal didn't come until the 37th minute on a 40-plus yard effort from Jon Bell that went well wide. Three minutes later, senior Albert Levett (Southend-on-Sea, England/Belfairs High) tested Heavner from 25 yards with a shot that was held by the UMBC goalkeeper. 

The Retrievers nearly opened the scoring in the 42nd minute as Cormac Noel's shot was deflected and nearly caught NIU junior goalkeeper Drew Donnally (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) wrong-footed, but the Huskie goalkeeper did an excellent job to recover and keep the ball from crossing the line. 
 
NIU broke the deadlock in the 51st minute as Rodriguez scored his first of the season from the penalty spot. Brodie was taken down just inside the box to draw the call on the penalty and Rodriguez made no mistake from the dot as he gave the Huskies the 1-0 advantage. 

UMBC pulled even just six minutes later. Tre Pulliam deflected a clearance and it fell kindly back to him as he raced toward goal. Pulliam's shot went between the legs of Donnally and into the net to tie the contest, 1-1.

Following the goal, the Retrievers had a good spell of possession in dangerous areas, forcing Donnally into a pair of saves. 

With 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Urrutia rose highest at the back post off a corner but couldn't direct his header on target.

In the 83rd minute, Tre McCalla had a chance for UMBC but his shot from just outside the area went harmlessly high. NIU came right back and created a couple of excellent chances as Levett and Rodriguez played a great one-two in the box before Rodriguez had a shot cleared off the line. Brodie then had a chance in the sequence that went just wide. 

In the 87th minute, freshman Christian Molina (Katy, Texas/Mayde Creek) found Voss with a cross and the first-time effort from the German looked destined for goal but Heavner got down quickly to make the save. 

Less than two minutes from time, the Huskies were unable to clear a corner fully and Sammy Kahsai clipped the top of the crossbar with a shot that nearly won it for UMBC. 

Two minutes into the overtime, Urrutia was sent off after committing a foul in which he was judged to be the last defender back for the Huskies. 

NIU had its first chance of the extra session in the 94th minute as Molina's cross found Brodie and his deflection on goal was saved by Heavner. 

With the extra man, UMBC was able to create a handful of chances in the remainder of the first extra period, but none that tested Donnally. 

Playing quickly on the counterattack early in the second overtime, Molina had a chance down the wing but fired his shot high over the goal. The Huskies had another chance halfway through the second period as Rodriguez whistled a shot just over the bar from 30 yards. 

Donnally finished with four saves for the Huskies while Heavner made five stops for UMBC.

The Huskies will return to action on Friday, Sept. 9, when they host the opening day of action in the NIU adidas Invitational. The Huskies will host Binghamton at 7 p.m., in a match that will be preceded by Loyola vs. Utah Valley at 4 p.m.