WATERLOO, Iowa -- The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team scored first but three second half goals lifted Northern Iowa to a 3-1 victory over the Huskies on Friday night at the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex. 

Freshman Trudy Quidzinski (Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) scored her second goal of the season as the Huskies wrapped up non-league play against the Panthers.

"We are disappointed with the result, especially having gone ahead and letting (Northern Iowa) back in the game," said NIU head coach Julie Colhoff. "I thought in the first half we played very well, it was the most organized I have seen our backline look, which is good. In our attack, we created a lot more chances than we have in past games but unfortunately we didn't capitalize on those. 

"The biggest thing, looking forward, is how do we restart the second part of the season going into conference play next Friday." 

The first look at goal in the match came for Northern Iowa (3-3-2) as Hannah McDevitt fired a shot from just outside the box that went wide in the seventh minute. 

NIU's (1-7) created an opportunity in the 14th minute as sophomore Amanda Czerniak (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) sent a cross toward the top of the six-yard box but junior Grace Louis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) couldn't direct the ball on target as the game remained scoreless in the early going. 

Just before the half-hour mark the Huskies had another chance as Quidzinski whipped a cross inside the six-yard box and Louis, with the Northern Iowa goalkeeper stranded coming off her line, sent her header high over the crossbar. 

A minute later, NIU goalkeeper Megan Donnally (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) had to make a save on a shot from Sydney Hayden. 

The Huskies opened the scoring in the 37th minute as an in-swinging corner from Quidzinski sailed over the head of Northern Iowa goalkeeper Jami Reichenberger and inside the back post to give NIU a 1-0 lead, an advantage that the Huskies would take into halftime.  

Less than two minutes into the second half, Northern Iowa's Jamie Althiser brought down a long ball and sent a looping shot toward goal that landed on the top of the net. 

The Panthers pulled level in the 56th minute on a goal by Maddie DePrenger. Northern Iowa had a free kick that was headed toward goal, Donnally made the first save but DePrenger reacted quickest to the rebound to even the match at one. 

In the 70th minute, McDevitt put Northern Iowa in front as her left-footed shot from just outside the box tailed away from Donnally and found the back of the net to give the Panthers a 2-1 advantage. 

The Huskies went on the attack immediately after going behind, winning a corner that was taken by Quidzinski and found the head of sophomore Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) but Reichenberger was able to push it away from danger. 

Northern Iowa scored a third goal in the 74th minute as Genevieve Cruz gave the Panthers a two-goal lead. Sophia Conant collected the ball for UNI and made her way into the box before seeing her shot saved by the feet of Donnally, but the rebound fell right to the feet of Cruz who finished to extend the Panther lead. 

A minute later, Donnally made an excellent save on a shot by Olivia Stearns as the Northern Iowa attacker cut inside from the left and first a shot that Donnally palmed over the crossbar. 

Donnally made eight saves in goal for the Huskies while Reichenberger had a pair of saves for Northern Iowa. 

NIU will now turn its attention to conference play as the Huskies open against Buffalo on Friday, Sept. 21. Game time against the Bulls is scheduled for 6 p.m.