INDIANAPOLIS – A 63rd minute goal for Bethany Hartigan was enough to lift IU Indy to a 1-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team on Friday afternoon (Oct. 30) at Carroll Stadium. The Huskies and Jaguars combined for 40 shots in the contest, with each team making eight saves as the lone goal just after the hour mark was the difference.
With the result, NIU is eliminated from contention for the Horizon League Tournament.
"Very disappointed with the outcome and obviously what it means and what it means for the end of the season," said NIU head coach
Michael O'Neill. "It was a game that was transitional, but it was more transitional than any game I've really coached. It was end-to-end from the first minute to the last minute. (IU Indy) was unrelenting in how they played, going forward with pace and power, direct.
"We had to manage that piece but they gave us lots of spaces and opportunity to go forward ourselves. It was a crazy game that could have been three or four each, for the goal to come from a 40-45 yard free kick sums up how crazy the game was."
The hosts earned a penalty kick less than three minutes into the contest for a foul in the box. Caroline Kelley stepped up to take the penalty for the Jaguars but it was saved by NIU goalkeeper
Alexandra Devory (Ruckersville, Va./William Monroe) who made an excellent stop down low to her left.
NIU responded with chances from
Sarah Roy (Saint-Julie, Quebec/College de Montreal) and
Abbey Kijewski (Nobleton, Ontario/Brill Crothers Secondary) in the moments following the penalty, both of which were saved by IU Indy goalkeeper Isabel Oferosky.
Both teams continued to create opportunities throughout the remainder of the opening 45 minutes, with IU Indy leading in shots, 12-7, and the Huskies leading in shots on target, 5-3, but neither team was able to find the breakthrough as the game went into the intermission scoreless.
After the interval, the chances picked up right where they left off in the first half as the Jaguars had a shot that went wide just 30 seconds into the second half.
Roy had the first opportunity of the second half for NIU in the 52nd minute, cutting into the box from the left wing before firing high over the goal.
Monica Correa (Des Plaines, Ill./Saint Viator) then had a shot less than a minute later that was parried away for a Huskie corner by Oferosky.
In the 58th minute, Shannon Phillips had a chance from close range for IU Indy that was saved by Devory, the rebound came back to Phillips and her second attempt was stopped by a Huskie defender.
The Jaguars finally made the breakthrough in the 63rd minute on a free kick about 40 yards from goal. Hartigan's dipping shot slipped just under the crossbar, giving Devory no chance, as the hosts took a 1-0 lead.
Less than a minute later, Correa curled a shot from outside the box that Oferosky was just able to tip away as it dipped under the bar.
NIU continued to look for an equalizing goal in the final 25 minutes but were unable to find it as IU Indy hung on for the 1-0 win, clinching its spot in the Horizon League Tournament.
The Huskies finish the season with a 4-8-5 overall record, 3-5-3 in Horizon League play.
