PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team trailed 13th-ranked Portland by a goal before the Huskies were reduced to 10 men and the Pilots went on to a 3-0 victory on Friday night at Merlo Field. The result snapped NIU's five-game win streak while Portland remains unbeaten in 10 matches this season.

"Portland was better (than us) in the first half," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "We were timid, maybe a little nervous, especially in the attacking half, things weren't really coming together for us. The start of the second half we were excellent right up until the red card and after that it was always going to be difficult."

The first shot of the match went to Portland in the 10th minute as a Huskie turnover in their defensive third was collected by Benji Michel and his low shot to the near post was punched away by NIU junior goalkeeper Konrad Dziedzic (Schiller Park, Ill./West Virginia). On the ensuing corner from Gio Magana-Rivera, Michel climbed highest inside the six-yard box and powered a header past a helpless Dziedzic to give the Pilots the early lead. 

Just after the Portland goal, NIU created a half-chance as freshman Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley- Bourbonnais) sliced a shot wide. Minutes later, senior Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) made a run down the right wing and whipped a cross toward the top of the six-yard box but a diving Nick Markanich just couldn't get a head on it. 

In the 27th minute, Magana-Rivera hit a low shot toward Dziedzic that was easily scooped up by the Huskie goalkeeper. 

Portland (8-0-2) took its 1-0 lead into the interval as the two teams combined for just five total attempts on goal in the opening 45 minutes with the majority of the play occurring in midfield. 

NIU (7-3) was reduced to 10 men in the 58th minute as freshman defender Lawrence Kwazema (River State, Nigeria/The International School of Minnesota) was shown a red card as he was whistled for a foul as the last defender, so the Huskies played the final 30-plus minutes down a man. 

A minute later, the Huskies earned a set piece and freshman Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley- Bourbonnais) got on the end of a ball from freshman Louis Sala (West Bloomfield, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's) but was unable to redirect his header on goal. 

In the 62nd minute, NIU countered quickly as Rodriguez raced past a defender and played the ball toward junior Jan Maertins (Rheinfelden, Germany/Marquette) whose shot just tailed away from the upper corner of the goal. 

Portland doubled its advantage two minutes later as Malcolm Dixon got on the end of a cross from Greg Tracey near the top of the six-yard box, heading past Dziedzic to give the Pilots a 2-0 victory. 

The Pilots added a third as the Huskie defense was stretched with NIU trying to get back into the game. Magana-Rivera played a good ball to his right to a streaking Tracey who finished inside the left post to give Portland a 3-0 lead in the 74th minute. 

"There have certainly been more positives than negatives," Swan said of the first 10 games of the season. "We are pleased with where the team is and we are excited for conference play to start. There are obvious disappointments after tonight's game, but as a whole I am happy with where we are at this stage of the season."

NIU will begin Mid-American Conference play next Saturday, Oct. 6, when they travel to SIU Edwardsville. Game time against the Cougars is slated for 7 p.m.