DEKALB – The NIU women's soccer team (8-6-1, 5-3 MAC) bounced back to win their second home game of the season with a 1-0 win over Ohio (7-8-1, 4-3-1 MAC) Sunday afternoon. The lone goal of the game was scored by sophomore Natalie Yass (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West) and senior Amy Annala (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) recorded the shutout in her return to the lineup after missing Friday's match.
 
"With it being senior day, our team was really excited for that and they came out and made a statement today being able to come out with a win." Head Coach John Ross said.
 
The Huskies pressured Ohio from the start of the game scoring their goal in the 31^st minute when Yass was able to jump on a loose ball and score. Junior Taylor Sarver (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) and senior Allie Ingham (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) got the assists on the play as Sarver crossed the ball in and Ingham deflected the ball from the near post to the far post where Yass made an onside play behind the goalkeeper.
 
NIU was on the attack from the start of the game, appearing to score a goal in the fourth minute of the game but the played was whistled dead and the goal was waved off on a foul. The foul force Ohio to have to make a change at keeper as Sydney Malham was replaced by Erin Beurket due to injury.
 
Annala was not heavily pressured throughout the game, only being forced to make one save on the lone Bobcats' shot on goal with Ohio only totaling three shots in the game. The Huskies took nine shots the Ohio's three and took four corner kicks with the Bobcats only winning two corners.
 
"Defensively we were very strong, we were getting good pressure all over and reading what they were trying to do," Ross said. "I'm not sure that got any A-plus chances, they had a couple of dangerous chances but we were able to clean those up."
 
With their fifth win in Mid-American Conference play, this is the most MAC wins an NIU team has had under Ross in his six seasons leading the Huskies. The 15 points in conference is tied for the most point NIU has collected in MAC play when they also had 15 points with four wins and three draws.
 
The Huskies now have three matches remaining in the regular season with back-to-back road matches next week at Central Michigan on Thursday and Eastern Michigan on Sunday before finishing the regular season at home on Oct. 26. NIU currently holds the third place positon in the MAC standings with three games remaining.