DEKALB, Ill. – Two goals in the final three minutes helped lift Bowling Green to a 2-1 victory over the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 27) at the NIU Soccer Complex. Amber Best (Southfield, Mich./Mercy) opened the scoring for NIU early in the second half before the Falcons turned the match around in the final moments. 

"Getting the early goal in the second half allowed us to play more on the front foot against the wind," said NIU head coach Michael O'Neill. "Then (Bowling Green) started to put numbers forward, putting four or five in the box, so we had to adjust our shape. An Achilles heel all year has been defending crosses and they are a good team; they are MAC Champions for a reason, and they were able to finish those chances in the last couple of minutes."

After a cagey opening 45 minutes in which both teams recorded just one shot on target, the contest sprung to life right from the opening kickoff of the second half. Lacee Bethea had an open back post header for the Falcons inside the first minute after the restart, but she put the chance over the bar. 

A minute later, Kennedy White flicked a header inside the box that appeared destined for the back of the net, but Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas/L.D. Bell) got a hand to it to keep the contest scoreless. 

NIU scored the opening goal in the 50th minute as Best netted her fourth goal of the season. The Huskies won a free kick in midfield and Lea Gruennagel (Homburg, Germany/Intergrierte Gesamtschule Contwig) floated it toward the back post. Bowling Green goalkeeper Lili Berg got a hand to it, but Best was there to pounce, knocking the ball over the line from close range to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. 

A minute after the goal, Madison Looby (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central) worked her way into the box for a shot that was just high and wide of goal. 

Just past the hour mark, Claudia Muessig (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw) sprung Best for another chance from near the edge of the box, but the Huskie forward was unable to hit the target. 

In the 67th minute, a switch of play by the Falcons found Brynn Gardner all alone inside the box. Her side-footed effort toward the back post was grabbed by McGill as NIU maintained its advantage. 

McGill came up with another stop in the 74th minute as the Falcons played the ball to Katie Cox with space near the top of the 18. Cox dribbled to about 10 yards and fired a shot across goal that McGill did well to hold as she dove back across her body to the left. 

Bowling Green's pressure continued as the contest entered the final quarter-hour. Ellie Pool had a pair of shots stopped by McGill and Gardner redirected a header on target that was held by the Huskie goalkeeper. 

The Falcons finally made a breakthrough to tie it in the 88th minute as Gardner's cross from the right side found Pool in the box. Pool headed the ball back across the face of goal and inside the far post to draw the visitors level. 

Less than a minute later, Bowling Green went in front on a goal by Gardner. A free kick from near midfield from Isabelle Gilmore was knocked down near the penalty spot by Kennedy White, into the path of Gardner who volleyed it just past a diving McGill into the net to give the Falcons a 2-1 victory.  

McGill finished with nine saves for the Huskies, Berg recorded one stop for the Falcons. 

NIU finishes the season with a 6-8-4 overall record, 3-6-2 in Mid-American Conference play. The six wins overall, and three conference victories, are both the most for the program since 2017. NIU's eight losses is the fewest in a season since the 2008 campaign.

"I'm proud of the girls' efforts," said O'Neill. "I'm looking forward to some time off to decompress a bit, as they are too, because it has been a grind. But we will be ready to go again and looking forward to what this program can achieve if we continue to build upon the foundations we set this season."