DEKALB, Ill. – Three second half goals helped Eastern Kentucky down the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 29) at the NIU Soccer Complex.
Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) netted her fourth goal of the season in the first half, but it wasn't enough to withstand the second half response from the Colonels.
"We didn't show any resilience and we let this game slip away," said NIU head coach
Julie Colhoff. "Which is a shame because we had momentum that we should have built from, but instead I think we got complacent. In the past couple of games when we have scored, we have given up a goal right away, so that was a focus of ours and it was good to see us not give up a goal right after scoring, but we weren't able to put together two halves."
NIU (2-2-0) went in front in the 14th minute as Hoppe collected a loose ball more than 30 yards from goal. The Austin, Texas native, turned and clipped a shot just inside the post to beat Eastern Kentucky goalkeeper Marah Krick to give the Huskies an early advantage.
Hoppe's goal, the 10th of her NIU career, was the only scoring in a first half that featured just five total shots.
Just two minutes into the second half, Eastern Kentucky had a free kick about 30 yards from goal and Michaela Iacono took a shot that was tipped onto the crossbar by NIU goalkeeper
Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas/North Texas) and scrambled away by the Huskie defense.
In the 57th minute off a free kick,
Amanda Czerniak (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) sent a head toward goal that was pushed away by Krick and
Grace Louis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) followed up but was whistled for a foul on the goalkeeper.
The Colonels pulled level just before the hour mark as Ali Kirk tied the contest. Lucy Ream made a run down the left side for Eastern Kentucky and cut toward goal, firing a low cross that was flicked on by Iacono to Kirk who was all alone at the top of the six-yard box to fire home a tying goal in the 60th minute.
Eastern Kentucky broke the deadlock in the 69th minute on a goal by Nerea de Diego. de Diego had the ball near the corner flag and cut back inside, getting near the top of the 18-yard box before chipping a shot inside the back post, beyond a diving McGill, as the Colonels took a 2-1 lead.
Eight minutes before full-time, Eastern Kentucky doubled its lead off a corner. Gretta Gunn floated the corner to just outside the top of the six-yard box where Ream looped a head inside the near post to double the advantage for the Colonels.
Krick finished with seven saves in goal for Eastern Kentucky, McGill made five stops for the Huskies.
NIU returns to action on Friday, Sept. 3, when the Huskies travel to Valparaiso to take on the Beacons. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
