DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team erased a two-goal deficit early in the second half, only to see Illinois State net two more goals to claim a 4-2 victory over the Huskies on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 12) at the NIU Soccer Complex. Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) scored her sixth goal of the season and Kierah Meier (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) tallied her first of the year. 

"Credit to Illinois State for continuing to fight back," said NIU head coach Julie Colhoff. "I think we had two good goals, but we became satisfied and celebrated too early, even though all we did was tie the game, and Illinois State continued to fight and won the game because of it."

NIU's (3-4-0) first good chance came on the counter in the 13th minute as the Huskies cleared an Illinois State corner kick and Edith Delgado (Aurora, Ill./East Aurora) sprung Amanda Czerniak (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) going the other way, but Czerniak's shot from 16 yards went just high. 

Illinois State (2-6-0) opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Natalie Vaughn-Low scored her first of two goals in the contest. The Redbird forced a turnover and Vaughn-Low collected the ball 30 yards from goal and looked to turn inside a defender before cutting back and making space for a low shot from just outside the 18-yard box that snuck inside the back post to put Illinois State in front. 

Five minutes before halftime, the Redbirds nearly doubled their advantage as a free kick from 20 yards by Ashley Santos tailed away from the outstretched hand of NIU goalkeeper Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas/North Texas) but caromed off the crossbar as Illinois State took a one-goal lead into halftime. 

The Redbirds doubled their lead just 75 seconds after halftime on Vaughn-Low's second goal of the game. Vaughn-Low received the ball about 25 yards from goal, made a move around a NIU defender to the top of the box and fired a shot back across goal, beating McGill to give Illinois State a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute. 

NIU responded with two goals in 45 seconds. First, Hoppe cut the ISU lead in half as she spun a defender in the box and quickly turned with a shot that beat Redbird goalkeeper Daniela Grgas at the near post from about 15 yards. The 52nd minute goal was the 12th for Hoppe in her NIU career. 

Less than a minute later, Meier's first goal of the season levelled the contest. The Sycamore, Ill., native cut inside and fired a shot over Grgas, who was a couple of steps off her goal line, and into the side-netting at the back post to pull the Huskies even in the 53rd minute. 

Ten minutes later NIU nearly went in front as a shot by Hoppe was blocked, but the rebound fell to Meier inside the six-yard box and her shot came back off the post before it was scrambled away by Illinois State. 

In the 68th minute, the Redbirds went back in front on a goal by Indianna Asimus. Logan Ziegler clipped a ball over the NIU defense and into the run of Asimus who finished first time with her left past McGill coming off her line to put Illinois State back in front. 

Seven minutes from time, the Redbirds added a fourth. Riley O'Brien kept a ball in play along the NIU goal line and quickly fired a low cross toward the back post where Allison Baker was making a darting run just ahead of a Huskie defender. Baker got to the ball first and fired it into the net to give Illinois State a 4-2 lead and the victory. 

McGill made seven saves in the contest for the Huskies, Grgas has four stops in goal for the Redbirds. 

NIU will close its non-conference slate next Friday, Sept. 17, when the Huskies travel to South Dakota State. Game time against the Jackrabbits is scheduled for 6 p.m.