MACOMB, Ill. – Three goals in the final 20 minutes helped lead Western Illinois to a 4-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team on Friday evening (Sept. 20). Ty Duax opened the scoring for the Leathernecks in the 10th minute, NIU had a number of chances to pull level before the late flurry from the hosts. 

"In the second half, we controlled a large portion of the game, the first 25-30 minutes of the half, but didn't score," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "There were a number of self-inflicted wounds, and we are obviously bitterly disappointed." 

First look at goal for either side came in the eighth minute as Taylor Davis (Wichita Falls, Texas/Wichita Falls) came down the left side and fired a shot that was just wide of the near post. 

Western Illinois (4-3-1) opened the scoring on its first chance of the game in the 10th minute. Oskar Greveluis headed the ball into the path of Liam Gainey who flicked the ball into the run of Duax. Duax took a touch off his chest before firing past NIU goalkeeper Caleb Pearson (Fort Worth, Texas/L.D. Bell) from close range to give the Leathernecks a 1-0 lead. 

In the 27th minute, Greveluis got on the end of a cross from the left side and fired just wide as Western Illinois took a 1-0 lead into the interval. 

Six minutes into the second half, Joe Hernandez (Bensenville, Ill./York Community) had a low shot from the edge of the box that forced a save from Western Illinois goalkeeper Alexis Michaud and the rebound was scrambled away by the Leatherneck defense. 

The chance from Hernandez seemed to spark the Huskies into life as NIU (2-6-0) had its best spell on the ball in the following minutes. Another shot from Hernandez was blocked and the rebound fell to Zachariah Thomas (Burnaby, British Columbia/Moscrop Secondary) who forced a save from Michaud. 

Just before the hour mark, Thomas fed Hernandez with a low cross and his deflected shot went just wide. Moments later, Hernandez had another chance off a corner but his shot from the top of the 18-yard box sailed just over the crossbar.

In the 68th minute, the Huskies earned a free kick 25 yards from goal and Tom Dahlin's (Stockholm, Sweden/Danderyds Gymnasium) effort cannoned back off the crossbar. 

Despite all the NIU pressure, Western Illinois doubled its lead in the 70th minute as a low cross from Benjamin Graham on the left wing found Tyler Philpott who redirected the ball past Pearson from inside the six-yard box. 

The hosts then added a third through Diego Porras in the 82nd minute. NIU turned the ball over in its own third and Porras got on the end of a cross from the right side, firing a left-footed shot into the back of the net. 

Just after the kickoff, Kevin Kelly (Dublin, Ireland/St. Joseph Rush) rattled the crossbar with a shot from 35 yards. 

In the 88th minute, Jimmy Baars added a fourth for Western Illinois as he curled a shot into the upper corner from the edge of the 18-yard box. 

Michaud was credited with seven saves in the contest for the Leathernecks, Pearson made three stops between the posts for the Huskies. 

NIU will return home on Tuesday, Sept. 24, as the Huskies host Milwaukee in the annual matchup for the Lewang Trophy. Kickoff against the Panthers is scheduled for 7 p.m. and admission to NIU Soccer matches is free of charge.