DEKALB, Ill. – Four goals in the opening 40 minutes helped the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team ease past Western Illinois, 5-0, on Thursday evening (Aug. 28) at the NIU Soccer Complex. Jose Gomez (Roatan, Honduras) and Martin Montoya (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) scored the first two, followed by a pair from Katai Mukuka (Lusaka, Zambia) before Taylor Davis (Wichita Falls, Texas/Wichita Falls) added a goal from the penalty spot in the second half. 

"Obviously delighted with the result," said NIU men's soccer head coach Ryan Swan. "We were really, really good in the first half. We wanted to come out fast and to get a goal early and have so much pressure on their backline from the start was really good. I think Western (Illinois) came out in the second half and made it tougher for us, but I was happy with the way we responded. We were necessarily moving the ball as well in the second half but the work rate and desire to do the right things was still there."

It took less than six minutes for the Huskies to open the scoring as NIU drew a free kick on the left wing about five yards from the corner of the box. Gomez stepped up and whipped the free kick inside the near post to give the Huskies the early advantage. 

NIU (2-0-1) doubled its lead in the 21st minute as Nico Angulo (Dallas, Texas/Allegiance Academy) cut in from the left wing and fired a low ball toward the back post where Montoya arrived just ahead of Western Illinois goalkeeper Micah Ramirez to tap home from close range and give the hosts a 2-0 lead. 

A Western Illinois turnover led to the third for the Huskies as Vance Sheffield (West Linn, Ore./La Salle Catholic College Prep) played in Mukuka in the 38th minute. Mukuka's attempted low cross was blocked and fell kindly back to his feet before he smashed it past a helpless Ramirez to give NIU a 3-0 lead. 

The fourth came two minutes later as Roman Khela (Huddersfield, England) and Tobias Crear (Carrollton, Texas/Creekview) combined down the right wing before Khela fired a low cross into the box where Mukuka slipped past a Western Illinois defender to tap home his second goal of the contest. 

NIU's four first half goals are its most goals in a half against a Division I opponent since scoring four in the second half of the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals against Bowling Green on Nov. 11, 2021. 

The Huskies added a final goal in the 74th minute as Angulo was clattered in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Davis stepped up and made no mistake, dispatching the penalty past Ramirez to give the Huskies a 5-0 victory. 

"Over the first two games, our buildout was good, our possession has been good, we have been happy with that, but we haven't gotten as many good looks on goal as we maybe would have liked," said Swan. "It was a focal point for us the last few days in training, and I was delighted with the work form the attacking guys today, getting into good spaces and getting good shots on goal."

NIU will return to action on Monday, Sept. 1, when the Huskies travel to 19th-ranked Kansas City. Kickoff against the Roos is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.