DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team closed the regular season with a 4-3 overtime setback against 16th-ranked West Virginia on Saturday night at the NIU Soccer Complex. Junior Jan Maertins (Rheinfelden, Germany/Marquette) scored a pair of goals as the Huskies came back to tie the match twice before falling in the 97th minute on a goal by Pascal Derwaritsch. 

"We talked before the game about how this would be an exciting college soccer game," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "Both teams want to get the ball down and play, and have good, dynamic attacking players. I think it was probably fun for a spectator and we will look back and there will be lots that we were very happy with. Obviously conceding four goals at home is unacceptable, and when we look at the goals we are going to be very disappointed in how they happened."

West Virginia (13-5, 5-0 MAC), who had already clinched the Mid-American Conference regular season crown, opened the scoring in the 28th minute on a goal by Andres Muriel Albino. The Mountaineers created a turnover and Albert Andres-Llop combined with Logan Lucas before the ball was played to Albino near the corner of the box and he slotted a shot inside the back post to give West Virginia the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Albino's goal was the only thing that separated the two sides in the opening 45 minutes before a wild second 45 that included four goals in the first 11 minutes after the break.

Less than two minutes after the interval, Joey Piatczyc doubled the Mountaineers lead, taking a pass from Ryan Kellogg and going in one-v-one with NIU goalkeeper Konrad Dziedzic (Schiller Park, Ill./West Virginia), tucking home a shot to the right corner in the 47th minute.

NIU (8-8-1 , 1-4 MAC) pulled a goal back in the 55th minute as freshman Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scored his fourth goal of the season. Freshman Louis Sala (West Bloomfield, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's) took a corner for the Huskies and found Markanich at the back post where his header slipped past West Virginia goalkeeper Steven Tekesky to bring the Huskies within a goal. 

Just 50 seconds later the Huskies were level as Maertins scored his first of the night, off a feed from freshman Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) to even the match in the 56th minute.

The Huskies were even for 31 seconds before West Virginia scored to reclaim the lead, 3-2. Piatczyc took a free kick from 40 yards, sending it toward the penalty spot where Kevin Morris rose highest in amongst numerous bodies from both sides and headed home a third for the Mountaineers.

Maertins claimed his second of the night in the 74th minute as the Huskies tied the match again, 3-3. Senior Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) whipped in a corner inside the six-yard box and the header from Maertins beat Tekesky to give the Rheinfelden, Germany native his sixth goal of the season.

In the final minute of regulation, Maertins had a chance for his hat trick, only to see his shot saved off the line by the West Virginia defense. Maertins was first to a ball played toward the corner of the box, as Tekesky came off his line, looking to collect for the Mountaineers. The Huskie forward collected it, moved around one defender to give himself space for the shot and fired toward an open net, but a West Virginia defender leaped in front and chested it away to send the match to overtime. 

The first chance of the extra session fell to Rodriguez as he unleashed a shot from outside the box that was tipped away in the 93rd minute, the Mountaineers would clear the ensuing corner kick. 

West Virginia got the winner in the 97th minute as Piatczyc again played provider from a free kick. Piatczyc's free kick found Derwaritsch at the back post and he headed it past Dziedzic from inside the six to give the Mountaineers a 4-3 victory. 

Dziedzic finished with two saves for the Huskies with Tekesky made four stops for the Mountaineers. Three of NIU's four conference losses this season have come in overtime. 

NIU will enter the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will travel to No. 3 seed Western Michigan on Tuesday, November 9, in the quarterfinals. Game time to be determined.