DEKALB, Ill. – Claudia Muessig (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw) scored in the 54th minute as the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team settled for a 1-1 tie against Southern Indiana on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 28) at the NIU Soccer Complex. Muessig's goal canceled out the opening goal scored by the Screaming Eagles just 47 seconds earlier. 

"The big positive I'm taking from today's game is the ability to handle adversity and respond the right way," said NIU head coach Michael O'Neill. "It would have been tough to lose this game, I thought we definitely worked hard to make sure we didn't lose the game. We would love to have some additional moments of quality, especially in the final third, but if you are going to be a tough team to play against and have that mental resilience to respond in those tough moments, you are going to be in every game."

Southern Indiana (2-1-1) had a chance on goal in the 18th minute as Emma Thurston fired a shot from a bit of a tight angle that NIU goalkeeper Deighton Wamer (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) stopped and gathered at the second attempt. 

In the 34th minute, Jordyn King (Menifee, Calif./Paloma) nearly put the Huskies in front as her header off a corner kick from Reegan Kingpavong (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) clipped the top of the crossbar and bounced harmlessly over as NIU and Southern Indiana went into halftime still looking for an opening goal. 

The Screaming Eagles broke the deadlock a bit against the run of play in the 53rd minute as Peyton Murphy's low cross found Taylor Hall all alone at the back post and Hall nodded it in to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage. 

It took less than a minutes for NIU  (1-0-2) to respond as Abby Adams (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) floated a cross toward the back post from the right wing and Muessig rose highest, heading it back across goal and inside the far post to bring the Huskies level. 

The goal is the first of the season for the Paw Paw, Mich., native and the fourth of her NIU career. 

Just after the Huskie goal, Southern Indiana was on the attack and Murphy's low shot from outside the box requited a save from Wamer. 

In the 67th minute, Kierah Meier (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) fought through a defender in midfield before playing the ball out right to Jamie Ward (Cherry Valley, Ill./Rockford East). The Cherry Valley, Ill., native moved inside the box and took a shot from a tight angle that was tipped over the crossbar by Southern Indiana goalkeeper Maya Etienne. 

Meier had the final chance to grab a winner as she got on the end of a cross at the back post in the 88th minute, but her header went high as NIU and Southern Indiana settled for a draw. 

Wamer made a pair of saves in the contest for the Huskies, Etienne recorded one save for the Screaming Eagles. 

"Our expectations are of course to win these games, especially after the good start at Eastern Kentucky, but the glass half-full is that we are undefeated, we haven't lost a game yet after two weekends," said O'Neill. "We are going to stay positive, make sure it is a good week of practice, but ultimately we want to come out, play on the front-foot and win games, not settle for ties."

NIU will return to action on Sunday, Sept. 4, when the Huskies travel to Eastern Illinois. Game time against the Panthers is scheduled for 1 p.m.