Box Score AKRON, Ohio – Three goals in the final eight minutes, including the game-winner with three seconds left, helped give Mid-American Conference leading Akron a 3-2 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team on Saturday night (Nov. 2) at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. The Huskies led 2-0 on goals from sophomores Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) and Louis Sala (West Bloomfield, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's) before the late comeback by the Zips.

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) made nine saves in the contest for the Huskies.

"We are absolutely gutted," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "I thought the guys played really well for 82 minutes, we executed our game plan almost perfectly and in the closing minutes we just had a shutoff. I don't know if we thought the job was done or what but we are obviously very disappointed to lose it after being in the driving seat so late in the game."

NIU (7-8-1, 2-2-0 MAC) held a 2-0 lead as the contest entered the final 10 minutes before Akron finally unlocked the Huskie defense in the 82nd minute. A low cross took a deflection to Zips forward David Egbo near the top of the box and his low shot just slipped inside the post to halve the Huskie advantage.

Just 62 seconds later the Zips were level as Egbo scored his second goal of the night. Christian Lue Young's cross from the right wing found the head of Egbo inside the six-yard box at the back post as he brought Akron level in the 83rd minute.

With just three seconds remaining, Akron (5-9-2, 3-0-1 MAC) found a winner through Carlo Ritaccio. Ritaccio whipped a ball across the six-yard box that skipped just in front of Sanchez, fooling the Huskie goalkeeper as it found the back of the net to complete the Akron comeback and keep the Zips atop the MAC standings.

It took NIU less than a minute to create the first chance of the match as a long throw from sophomore Lawrence Kwazema (River State, Nigeria/The International School of Minnesota) found the head of sophomore Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) who could only redirect his effort high of the Akron goal.

The first good chance for Akron came in the fourth minute as a free kick from wide right found the head of Daniel Strachan who powered a header toward goal, only to see Sanchez get a hand to it, pushing it away for a corner kick for the Zips.

On its next two set pieces, Akron was first to the ball, winning a pair of headers, but neither was on target as the match remained goalless in the early stages.

In the 33rd minute, a low cross from Akron pinballed into the path of Diogo Pacheco and his shot was stopped by Sanchez. Just a minute later, Lue Young got on the end of a cross and volleyed it off the post before the rebound was sent harmlessly high.  

Sanchez made a spectacular save in the 36th minute as Egbo turned on the ball from about 10 yards and fired toward the upper corner, but the NIU redshirt freshman goalkeeper made the save and held it as the Huskies and Zips went into the interval scoreless.

NIU went in front with its first chance of the second half in the 51st minute as Anthony Markanich gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Junior Alex Welch (Carmarthen, Wales/King's College Madrid) whipped in an excellent corner toward the back post and Anthony Markanich leaped above an Akron defender and headed it back across the frame of goal and over the line to put the Huskies in front.

In the 66th minute, Will Jackson beat Sanchez to a loose ball just inside the box but after taking a touch to his left couldn't keep his shot on frame. A minute later, Lue Young's header off a corner was held by Sanchez right along the goal line as the Huskies maintained their one-goal advantage.

Sala doubled the lead for the Huskies in the 72nd minute, calmly rolling a penalty into the corner of the net. Nick Markanich was brought down in the area as the referee pointed to the spot and Sala stepped forward and made no mistake, converting from 12 yards to give NIU a 2-0 lead.

Sanchez made another excellent save in the 79th minute as a shot from Pol Hernandez appeared labeled for the top corner but the Huskie goalkeeper got a hand to it at full stretch to deny the Zips.

Three minutes later, Egbo scored his first to begin the unlikely comeback for the Zips.

NIU will return to the road for the final match of the regular season next Saturday night, November 9, as the Huskies visit Bowling Green. Kickoff against the Falcons is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.