YPSILANTI, Mich. – Senior
Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) scored her second goal of the season, but the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team fell, 4-1, to Eastern Michigan on Sunday afternoon (April 4) at Scicluna Field.
Both teams had chances early in the contest as NIU junior goalkeeper
Julia Lentz (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) made a save on Sabrina McNeill in the fifth minute and freshman
Kierah Meier (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) was stopped by Eastern Michigan goalkeeper Mabel Dunn six minutes later.
Lentz made another save on a shot by McNeill in the 34th minute, but McNeill finally beat Lentz one minute later, finding the back of the net from near the penalty spot, off an assist from Alia Frederick, to give Eastern Michigan a 1-0 lead 10 minutes before halftime.
A minute later, Lexy Alston hit the post for Eastern Michigan as the Eagles took their one-goal advantage into halftime.
Senior
Megan Donnally (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) who came on to start the second half in goal for the Huskies, made a pair of early saves in the second 45 minutes, before the Eagles added a second goal in the 51st minute. Kylie Frantz scored, unassisted, from just outside the box, firing a shot into the upper corner, to give EMU a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles added a third in the 67th minute when Marla Cobetto found the back of the net. Cobetto's strike from just outside the box gave Eastern Michigan a 3-0 advantage. Alston then added a fourth for Eastern Michigan in the 79th minute.
Hoppe got the Huskies on the board, off an assist from sophomore
Nicole Barham (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos) in the 88th minute. Hoppe's goal, the sixth of her NIU career, came from just inside the top of the box.
Dunn finished with four saves for the Eagles; Lentz made two saves in the first half for NIU while Donnally tallied five stops in the second stanza.
The Huskies will return home on Thursday, April 8, as they host Ball State in the final home match of the season. Kickoff against the Cardinals is scheduled for 2 p.m.
