DEKALB, Ill. – Two goals in the final 25 minutes helped lead Toledo to a 2-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team on Sunday afternoon (March 28) at the NIU Soccer Complex. The Rockets capitalized late in a game with few chances as the two teams combined for just 13 total shots.
"There were a couple of positives to take from this game," said NIU head coach
Julie Colhoff. "But overall, obviously, it wasn't the result that we wanted. The biggest thing is that we have to take care of the ball. When we break up plays, that's great, find the first pass but then the next one has to be better, and then creating more opportunities."
Neither goalkeeper was tested until late in the first half when a 43rd minute shot from Ashton Cassel was collected by NIU senior goalkeeper
Megan Donnally (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) as the Huskies and Rockets went into halftime scoreless.
Donnally came up with another save, the first of the second half, on a shot from Anita Mancini in the 67th minute.
The Rockets went in front two minutes later through Stephanie Currie. The initial chance came to Ellie Pool as her shot came off the post and back out the opposite side where Currie was first to it, firing the rebound into the net to give Toledo a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute.
With just under a quarter-hour to play, the Rockets doubled their advantage. Pool whipped in an excellent cross toward the back post where Brooke Stonehouse rose and headed into the net from inside the six-yard box as Toledo took a 2-0 advantage in the 76th minute.
The best chance for NIU came in the final minute as sophomore
Nicole Barham (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos) floated a shot over Toledo goalkeeper Emma Boutorwick and off the back post. The ball rolled near the goal line off the post but didn't cross the line as the Rockets preserved the shutout.
NIU will return to action on Thursday, April 1, when the Huskies travel to Western Michigan to meet the Broncos. Kickoff for Thursday's contest is scheduled for 1 p.m.
