DEKALB, Ill. – Bianca Romay scored in the 99th minute as the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team fell to Western Illinois, 1-0, in overtime on Thursday night at the NIU Soccer Complex. The goal spoiled a 13-save performance by NIU sophomore goalkeeper Megan Donnally (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) in the Huskie home opener. 

"I feel like in some moments it was brilliant, and we executed our game plan very well," said NIU head coach Julie Colholff. "But the thing we have to get better at is, as the game gets frantic, we don't get frantic with it, we stay in control and playing our style of play. It's a learning opportunity, I think we were a step better than we were last game, but not quite to where we are capable of being yet."

The first chance of the contest came to Romay in the 15th minute but Donnally was well off her line to smother the shot to keep the game scoreless in the opening quarter-hour. 

Seven minutes later, NIU created an excellent opportunity as junior Abby Gregg (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield East) sent in a cross that was met by sophomore Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) inside the six-yard box, only to see her chance pushed over the crossbar by Western Illinois goalkeeper Ines Palmiero Herrera.

Western Illinois nearly opened the scored in the 31st minute off a corner kick. Stacie Wolfgram took the corner for the Leathernecks and the shot from Kayla McCormick came back off the woodwork as the game went into the interval deadlocked. 

Donnally was called into action in the 53rd minute off a free kick from about 40 yards. The free kick was played into the box where it was met by the head of Lauryn Peters for Western Illinois, but her header was into the arms of the Huskie goalkeeper. 

Ten minutes later another stop by Donnally kept the match even. Bridget Schuler found space at the back post on a corner kick and the Huskie sophomore goalkeeper made an outstanding save on Schuler's header to keep the match scoreless. 

In the 65th minute, the Huskies had a chance as they build the play down the right side where junior Natalie Yass (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West) was able to get a shot from a tight angle that was saved by Palmiero Herrera. Neither team created much in the way of quality chances in the final 25 minutes of regulation as the game went to overtime. 

Less than three minutes into the extra period, Donnally came up with another good save as she tipped a long-distance shot from Peters over the crossbar. Six minutes later the Leathernecks finally broke the deadlock as Cassidy Grunewald made a run through midfield into the box before laying the ball off to Romay who beat Donnally to give Western Illinois the overtime victory. 

NIU will return to action on Sunday, Aug. 26, when the Huskies travel south to Champaign to take on the University of Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.