DEKALB, Ill. – Camilo Estrada (Dallas, Texas/Lone Star) opened the scoring in the 53rd minute but three Northwestern goals in the final half hour led the Wildcats to a 3-1 victory over the Huskies on a wet Wednesday night (Oct. 12) at the NIU Soccer Complex. 

"I thought it was an embarrassing performance in the second half," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "In the first half we had a couple of opportunities, we hit the bar three times, but there was poor technique in the final third, those should have been goal. Then to go a goal up and throw the game away in that manner, it was an embarrassment for all of us."

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Estrada's second goal of the season got the Huskies off the mark eight minutes after the interval. The initial chance fell to Kevin Galiano (Bellingham, Wash./Meridian) whose shot was saved by Northwestern goalkeeper Paul Walters, but the rebound fell kindly to Estrada who fired it into the back of the net from eight yards to put the Huskies in front. 

A minute after the Huskie goal, Christopher Thaggard nearly leveled from a corner for the Wildcats as his volley attempt came back off the post. 

On the hour-mark, Galiano had a chance to put the Huskies back in front as Angel Rodriguez (Elgin, Ill./Ignite Christian Academy) slid a ball into his path and the Huskie forward had his shot saved by the feet of Walters. A minute later, the Wildcats hit the bar again as Paul Son's chip attempt clipped the top of the crossbar. 

Ethan Dudley pulled Northwestern even in the 64th minute. The Wildcats earned a free kick near the corner of the box and Dudley bent a shot around the near post side of the wall, off Huskie goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and into the net to tie the contest at one. 

Northwestern was in front on 73 minutes as a turnover in its own third by the Huskies allowed Rom Brown to play the ball to Bardia Kimiavi in behind the NIU defense. Kimiavi took one touch and then smashed a shot from 12 yards high into the net to give the Wildcats the lead. 

Seven minutes from time, Northwestern put the game out of reach as Eric Smits clipped a cross from the edge of the box to the run of Jason Gajadhar near the edge of the six on the opposite side. Gajadhar fired a shot back across goal and in off the post, giving Northwestern a 3-1 advantage. 

Sanchez made five saves in the contest for the Huskies, Walters had six saves in goal for the Wildcats. 

NIU started brightly in the opening 45 minutes, but the first chance fell to Northwestern as Thaggard got in behind the NIU defense and Sanchez did well coming off his line to cut down the angle and make the save.  

Just before the quarter-hour mark, Rodriguez floated an outstanding cross to the run of Dylan Banker (McHenry, Ill./McHenry West) behind the Northwestern defense at the far post. Banker's initial header hit the crossbar and fell back to him quickly, but he couldn't redirect the rebound on target. 

In the 38th minute from a Huskie corner, the ball bounced in the box and off a number of bodies, with Parker Jeppson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest) appearing to get the last touch as the ball hit the crossbar and fell into the grateful arms of Walters. 

Just a minute later, the Huskies hit the bar again as Eddie Knight (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star) tracked down a ball in front of Walters and played it Galiano on the edge of the box. With the goalkeeper off his line, Galiano could only rattle the post with his shot from a tight angle as the contest went to halftime scoreless. 

NIU will return conference play beginning on Monday, Oct. 17, when the Huskies host Chicago State. Kickoff against the Cougars is scheduled for 7 p.m.