DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw with Toledo after Abby Zipse's 86^th minute direct corner kick goal against Toledo at the NIU Soccer Complex on Sunday.
 
NIU (9-4-5, 3-3-4 MAC) celebrated their seven seniors with a ceremony before kickoff. The Huskies seven seniors that were celebrated today are Reegan Kingpavong (Rockford, Ill./Saginaw Valley State), Edith Delgado (Aurora, Ill/East Aurora), Abby Zipse (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), Lea Gruennagel (Homburg, Germany/Saginaw Valley State), Chantelle Parker (Milton, Ontario/Pittsburgh), Ary Purifoy (Machesney Park, Ill. Oklahoma State) and Maddie Macon (Freeport, Ill./Freeport).
 
"It was a fantastic day to celebrate our seniors," NIU head coach Michael O'Neill said. "We want to do it in the last home game and in big moments because that is what our seniors deserve and today the fight the team showed was for the seniors. This group has had a lot of ups and downs and I'm forever grateful I got to coach them."
 
Zipse scored for the third straight game to secure the draw. The goal was Zipse's third of the season and the third of her career. The senior midfielder set the NIU record for most games played in Thursday's match against Ball State.
 
"Winning games and getting us back in games sums her up, she is a warrior," O'Neill said. "She is a leader on and off the field and I'm very pleased with her."
 
NIU outshot Toledo 11-3 and had seven shots on goal to just one for Toledo.
 
The Huskies controlled most of the first half and recorded multiple shots on net. Tyra King (Menifee, Calif./Metea Valley) had a look on net that was saved by Toledo goalkeeper Paige Dornheggen. King had five of the Huskies' seven shots on net in the match.
 
Toledo (6-7-4, 3-4-3 MAC) was able to counter and took the lead in the 37^th minute as Kayla Flory scored from close range. The Huskies then forced many chances on net throughout the second half before Zipse's 'Olimpico' goal, scored directly from a corner kick.  
 
"I'm proud of the resilience to come back from a goal down," O'Neill said. "We put ourselves in a difficult position but the perseverance to come back and get that goal could be huge for us with one game left."
 
The Huskies will go to Kalamazoo, Mich., on Thursday (Oct. 31) for the final game of the season against the regular season MAC Champions Western Michigan. NIU will kick off against WMU at 2 p.m. CT. The Huskies sit in a tie with Miami for the sixth, and final, place in the MAC tournament heading into that final match.
 
"It's going to be absolute chaos on Thursday," O'Neill said. "As the chaos ensues around us, we can only control ourselves. I will echo that message this week, what will be will be but if we take care of our business good things will happen."
 
-- NIU --