EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- A 105th minute goal from Aaron Crabtree lifted SIU Edwardsville to a 3-2, double overtime win over the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team on Wednesday afternoon (April 7) at Korte Stadium. Crabtree's winner erased late heroics in regulation from the Huskies as junior Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scored his second goal of the game in the 90th minute to force the extra session. 

"We had a poor first half, it was tough conditions with the wind, but we weathered the storm," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "In the second half, we gave up an unfortunate goal and then we were dominant, creating so many chances. We conceded another one against the run of play but after we equalized in the 90th minute, I thought the momentum was with us. We had a couple good looks in overtime but, ultimately, SIUE are a physical, direct team, we gave up a poor free kick, didn't clear our lines and they took advantage of it."

NIU (5-6-1, 4-4-0 MAC) dominated the second half, outshooting SIUE 10-2 in the second 45 minutes, but found itself trailing by a goal in the final minute of regulation when Markanich netted his ninth goal of the season. Junior Anthony Markanich's (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) cross to the back post found his brother, Nick, all alone and Nick Markanich's downward header went under the feet of SIUE goalkeeper Lluis Martorell from a tight angle to send the game into overtime. 

Nick Markanich's nine goals are tied for the fourth-most in the nation this season.

"He was very good again today," Swan said of his junior forward. "We are seeing more from him all the time; more maturity and he is taking responsibility for more than just scoring goals and I think the goals are a byproduct of that. He has been very good, putting the work rate in and he is very dangerous in front of goal, we are just disappointed that we couldn't take advantage of his two goals to get a victory."

SIUE (5-5-0, 2-5-0 MAC) had the best chance to win it in the first overtime period as a volley from distance by Corban McAvinew was saved by NIU sophomore goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) at full stretch in the 97th minute. 

In the second overtime period, sophomore Enrique Banuelos (Mexico City, Mexico/Virginia) sliced through the SIUE defense in the 103rd minute and fired a shot from near the penalty spot that forced an outstanding save from Martorell.

Two minute later the Cougars won it as a free kick into the box was headed down and the attempted clearance by the Huskies hit Crabtree who collected from close range and fired it past Sanchez to give SIUE the victory. 

Martorell finished with eight saves in the contest, Sanchez made one stop for NIU. 

Neither team created much in the way of chances in the opening 45 minutes as the Huskies and Cougars combined for eight shots, none of which required a save. The best opportunity to open the scoring before the interval fell to SIUE in the 23rd minute as Oskar Lenz hit the post. 

The first time either goalkeeper was called into action was less than two minutes into the second stanza when Anthony Markanich made a run through midfield into the Cougars box and forced a stop from Martorell.

Just a minute later, SIU Edwardsville went in front as Vincent Jackson opened the scoring. Jackson picked up the second ball off a free kick and floated a shot just under the crossbar at the back post, giving Sanchez no chance as the Cougars took a 1-0 lead.  

In the 56th minute, Anthony Markanich had an excellent chance to equalize as he got his head on the end of a corner from sophomore Luis Hernandez (Dallas, Texas/Lone Star) and powered it toward goal, only to see Martorell make a diving save. 

On the hour mark, freshman Malcolm Ward (Youngs, Australia/Newington College) had a shot from distance that was tipped over the crossbar by Martorell and a minute later a volley from junior Roque Viegas Jr. (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Syracuse) looked destined for the corner of the net, but Martorell made another outstanding, diving save to keep the Cougars in front. 

NIU had a series of nine corners in an eight-minute stretch early in the second half and had 13 total in the second 45 minutes. 

The Huskies finally broke through in the 65th minute as Nick Markanich scored his eighth goal of the season. Banuelos threaded a ball through the Cougar defense to Markanich who was one-on-one with Martorell and slotted the ball underneath the SIUE goalkeeper to equalize for the Huskies. 

SIUE regained the lead, against the run of play, on a goal by McAvinew in the 74th minute. A low cross from Lenz made its way across the box to McAvinew near the top of the six and his shot beat Sanchez to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead. 

NIU was right back on the front-foot after the goal and finally got the payoff on Markanich's equalizer with 40 seconds left in regulation, only to see the Cougars go on and win it in the extra period. 

The Huskies will return home on Sunday, April 11, when they host West Virginia in the final home game of the season. Kickoff against the Mountaineers is scheduled for 1 p.m.