EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Sophomore Jan Maertins (Rheinfelden, Germany/Georg-Buechner Gym) netted his first goal of the season but the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team dropped a 4-1 decision to Evansville on Monday afternoon in the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic.

"It was a very frustrating afternoon," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "For the second game in a row, we have gifted our opponent goals. Up until their first goal we were playing pretty well, creating some chances. Some terrible defending led to them getting the opening goal and then more bad decisions, in possession for us, led to the second goal. 

"Even at that point I still felt that we were in the game and we felt confident coming out at halftime. Shortly into the second game more bad decision-making and defending led to a goal and that was going to be too much for us to overcome. I think the guys kept working on the offensive side, it was good to see Jan get his first goal for us. The chances created were pretty equal on both sides, but the ones we gifted to them were the difference."

Evansville (4-0) opened the scoring in the 15th minute through Arlick Ntabana. Ntabana spun around a defender at the top of the box, slid past another and then fired a shot high over sophomore goalkeeper Konrad Dziedzic (Schiller Park, Ill./East Leyden/West Virginia) from 10 yards. 

The Huskies nearly leveled the match in the 28th minute as sophomore Christian Molina (Katy, Texas/Mayde Creek) fired a shot off the left post. Junior Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) fed Molina near the top of the six-yard box and Molina's first time shot rang off the bar with Evansville goalkeeper Matthew Keller rooted to his spot. 

Late in the half the Huskies had two more opportunities to get on the score sheet. Off a free kick from 30 yards in the 38th minute, the ball slid through to the back post where senior Luke Read (Ilford, England/Barking Abbey School) was waiting but he couldn't direct it on target. Moments later, Rodriguez worked his way down the wing and crossed to junior Adrian Coardos (Evanston, Ill./Niles North) near the top of the box but his shot rolled harmlessly wide of the post. 

Evansville doubled its advantage in 42nd minute as Filip Johansson scored to give the Purple Aces a 2-0 lead. Jesse Stafford Lacey played a ball into the run of Johansson behind the Huskie backline, Dziedzic got a hand on the shot but it trickled over the line to give Evansville its second goal of the contest. 

The Purple Aces added a third goal in the 50th minute. Stafford Lacey took a free kick from wide out near the touchline, whipping the ball in near the penalty spot where Caleb Williams got in front of a Huskie defender and headed the ball past a diving Dziedzic to give Evansville a 3-0 lead. 

NIU (1-2) responded almost immediately as Maertins netted the fourth goal of his collegiate career, his first in a Huskie uniform. In the 53rd minute, junior Noah Brodie (Scottsdale, Ariz./Carbondale Community) sent a low cross in front of goal and Maertins was first to it, backheeling it past Keller from the top of the six-yard box to cut the Evansville lead to 3-1. 

Dziedzic came up with an excellent save in the 64th minute, making himself big and getting a foot to a shot by Ntabana. Evansville put the rebound wide. 

Evansville regained a three-goal lead in the 68th minute as Ian McGrath converted from the penalty spot. 

In the 73rd minute, Rodriguez nearly scored direct from a free kick, bending a 30-yard ball toward the top corner of the net but Keller made an outstanding save to deny Rodriguez the goal. 

Keller made four saves for the Purple Aces; Dziedzic recorded a pair of stops for the Huskies. 

Maertins and sophomore Ethan Pitre (Minneapolis, Minn./Prairie Seeds Academy) were named to the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team. 

NIU will return home this weekend as the Huskies host the NIU adidas Invitational, welcoming Stetson to DeKalb on Friday, Sept. 8, and Texas Rio Grande Valley on Sunday, Sept. 10.