DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team fell to Western Michigan, 2-0, on Thursday night (Sept. 22) in the Mid-American Conference opener at the NIU Soccer Complex. A goal on either side of halftime was enough to lift the visitors to the victory as Kai Sugiyama and Emily Pagett got on the scoresheet for the Broncos. 

"(Western Michigan) is very direct, they are going to play it forward, forward, forward," said NIU head coach Michael O'Neill. "So, we knew it would be a bit of a tennis match. We created the better chances in the second half especially, maybe I biased, in the first half they pinned us in. It is frustrating how we are conceding, two today from 25-30 yards out, you have to take it, they are both good finishes, but they didn't create much outside of that. 

"I don't want to get too down on the girls, or on myself, we have to be better in the first half, and we have to know that when we create momentum and chances, we have to take them."

Just before the quarter-hour mark Western Michigan (1-4-3, 1-0 MAC) went in front on a goal by Sugiyama. The Bronco defender beat a Huskie to a 50/50 ball, took a couple of touches to her left and fired a shot from just less than 25 yards that hit the underside of the crossbar and went over the line to give the visitors the early lead. 

NIU's first chance came in the 19th minute as Abby Zipse (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) laid a ball off into the path of Claudia Muessig (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw) whose shot from just outside the box was held by Bronco goalkeeper Hannah Sargent. 

In the 39th minute, Kayla Whelchel got on the end of a low cross from the right for Western Michigan and forced a good save from NIU goalkeeper Deighton Wamer (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) as the Broncos took a 1-0 lead into the interval. 

Early in the second half it was NIU on the front-foot. Amber Best (Southfield, Mich./Mercy) got in behind the WMU defense in the 52nd minute and fired a ball across the face of goal. Ten minutes later, Madison Looby (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central) found Reegan Kingpavong (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) alone in the box, but Kingpavong was unable to beat Sargent from about eight yards. 

Western Michigan doubled its advantage in the 65th minute on its first chance of the second half. Bria Telemaque collected the ball off a throw and laid it back to Pagett who side-footed a ball from 30 yards that looped over Wamer into the side-netting to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead. 

In the 78th minute, Wamer made an outstanding save on a shot from just inside the box by Jenna Blackburn. The NIU freshman goalkeeper was a full extension to her right, palming away the Bronco chance. 

Wamer finished with four saves in the contest for the Huskies, Sargent made three stops between the posts for the Broncos. 

NIU will return to the road on Sunday, Sept. 25, as the Huskies travel to Toledo. Kickoff against the Rockets is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3.