DEKALB, Ill. – Two goals in each half helped lift Ohio to a 4-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 10) at the NIU Soccer Complex. Madison Clayton had a goal and an assist in the win for the Bobcats.
Ohio improved to a 9-4-1 with the victory, including a league-best 5-0-1 in conference play. NIU fell to 4-10, 1-5 in the Mid-American Conference.
"We have to continue to work hard and work through the moments that feel like failure," said NIU head coach
Julie Colhoff. "We need to fine tune some of our technical work and our tactical decisions. We have to continue to push through and recognize that there are still opportunities on the table that we have to fight for. Credit to Ohio, I think they moved the ball well, possessed it well and created some opportunities."
Ohio opened the scoring in the 12th minute as Isabella Ginocchi laid the ball off to Carsyn Prigge for a shot from over 30 yards out. Prigge's dipping shot bounced just around the top of the six-yard box and skipped past NIU goalkeeper
Julia Lentz (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) to give the Bobcats the early lead.
Olivia Sensky doubled the lead for Ohio direct from a free kick in the 20th minute. The Bobcats won a free kick about three yards outside the box on the left side and Sensky curled a shot over the head of Lentz and into the back of the net to help Ohio take a two-goal lead into halftime.
Just seconds into the second half, Lentz made an outstanding save on a chance for Madison Clayton at close range.
Lentz finished the contest with a season-high six saves, Ohio goalkeeper Sam Wexell made one save in the match.
Clayton found the back of the net just past the hour mark. Shae Robertson fired a shot at a tight angle that was stopped by Lentz, but the rebound fell to the feet of Clayton who collected it and scored with her second touch to give Ohio a 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats closed the scored in the 73rd minute when Haley Miller collected the ball just outside the 18-yard box and created just enough space to send a shot across the face of goal and into the net to give Ohio a fourth goal.
NIU will return to action on Thursday, Oct. 14, when the Huskies travel to Akron. Kickoff against the Zips is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
