DEKALB, Ill. – Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scored the game-winning goal in the 105th minute as the 19th-ranked Northern Illinois University men's soccer team came from behind to defeat Georgia State, 2-1, to win the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 14) at the NIU Soccer and Track and Field Complex. 

Georgia State opened the scoring in the first half before Miguel Maynez Jr. (El Paso, Texas/New Mexico) pulled NIU level six minutes into the second half. Nick Markanich then won it in the second overtime period with his nation's leading 16th goal of the season, giving the Huskies their third MAC Tournament Title in program history (2006, '11). 

Nick Markanich was named the Tournament MVP, he is joined on the MAC All-Tournament Team by Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais), Pepe Martinez (Sant antoni de vilamajor, Spain/Western Michigan) and Roque Viegas Jr. (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Syracuse). 

"It is fantastic," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "I thought our guys were fantastic today and we are delighted to come away with the trophy. The first half was tough against the wind and Georgia State scored a really fantastic goal on the counterattack. We kept probing and had a couple decent looks late in the first half. I thought we were dominant in the second half, and I'm really delighted with the way the guys performed today."

NIU (14-2-2) was on the attack from the opening kickoff, despite playing against the wind in the first 45 minutes. Diego Maynez (El Paso, Texas/Lone Star) tested Georgia State goalkeeper Gunther Rankenburg with a shot in the fifth minute. Two minutes later, it was Viegas who found space around a Panther defender and tested Rankenburg from just outside the box. 

Georgia State (12-6-0) caught the Huskies on the counter to open the scoring in the 22nd minute. The Panthers dispossessed NIU in the middle third and Simon Carlson sent Georgia State quickly the other way, playing the ball out wide to Bryan Silva who crossed the ball over the heads of the NIU backline just beyond the penalty spot where Max Wilkins connected with a diving header past NIU goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) to put the visitors in front. 

Three minutes from halftime, Malcolm Ward (Youngs, Australia/Newington College) moved into the box and had a shot that was held by Rankenburg as Georgia State took a 1-0 lead into the intermission. 

In the second half, now playing with the wind, NIU took full control of the contest and needed just six minutes to draw even. 

NIU earned a free kick wide of the box about 30 yards from goal and Miguel Maynez Jr. whipped it with his right foot over the crowd in the box and just inside the far post, tying the game in the 51st minute with his third goal of the season, and second of the MAC Tournament. 

The Huskies began piling on even more pressure and Adrian Corona (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) nearly put NIU in front just past the hour mark as his curling shot from the top of the box went inches wide. 

In the 65th minute, Viegas stung the palms of Rankenburg with a shot from the top of the box and the rebound fell to Nick Markanich whose header had Rankenburg beaten but was cleared away by the Georgia State defense. 

Moments later, Ward fired a ball into the area from the right wing that cannoned back off the crossbar as the Huskies had Georgia State pinned inside their own box. 

In the 82nd minute, Nick Markanich's shot from the top of the box hit the hands of Rankenburg and momentarily popped away, but he grabbed it at the second attempt as the Huskies and Panthers could not be separated in 90 minutes. 

The first overtime period saw Georgia State once again playing with the wind and the Panthers had the lone shot attempt of the 10-minute period, but it was off-target. 

In the second overtime, Camilo Estrada (Dallas, Texas/Lone Star) had his 103rd minute shot blocked. The rebound was only half-cleared and caromed to Nick Markanich for a volley from just inside the 18 that beat Rankenburg but came back off the crossbar. 

Two minutes later, NIU finally broke the deadlock on Nick Markanich's 39th goal as a Huskie. Corona took the corner and the initial ball deflected to Anthony Markanich who hit it back into the crowd, off the chest of a Georgia State defender before it fell for a right-footed volley from 12 yards by the two-time MAC Player of the Year who stuck it in the back of the net to give the Huskies the win and the conference tournament crown.

"We had some really good looks during the game," said Swan. "Even in overtime, we hit the crossbar, but it felt like we were going to find a way through. Nick is so sharp in the box, when it broke to him, there was a lot of relief, but it was kind of expected as well, because it has happened so often. It was tremendous."

With the victory, NIU earns the MAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com, on Monday, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. 

MAC All-Tournament Team
Nick Markanich, NIU (MVP)
Pepe Martinez, NIU
Anthony Markanich, NIU
Roque Viegas Jr., NIU
Ramon Munoz, Georgia State
Gunther Rankenburg, Georgia State
Logan Luque, Georgia State 
Jaker Erlandson, Bowling Green
Zach Buescher, Bowling Green
Ryan Baer, West Virginia
Bjarne Thiesen, West Virginia