DeKALB – Senior defender Amara Thompkins played the savior for NIU women’s soccer with the equalizing goal in Sunday’s MAC battle in DeKalb.
An assist from senior midfielder Madison Frazer enabled the Huskie veteran to boot her first goal of the season with 2:09 left on the game clock.
“It was … an amazing feeling,” Thompkins said about her goal. “I think we all were trying to rush to get a goal, and I was in the right place at the right time.”
After a pair of fruitless Huskie corner kicks and freshman midfielder Isabel Struble’s high right miss with 14 seconds to go, NIU women’s soccer (2-4-3, 0-1-1 MAC) finished even, 1-1, with the University of Toledo Rockets (3-4-2, 0-1-1 MAC).
“It was a really slow start for us,” said NIU women’s soccer assistant coach Laurence Paterson. “From Minute 1, that was probably not the way we wanted to approach the game. We wanted to start with quick tempo and a sense of urgency, and that didn’t happen until the second half.”
“RELENTLESS” SECOND HALF
NIU spent the majority of the second half at a 1-0 deficit after permitting a 30th minute, unassisted goal by Toledo junior forward Mia Leonetti.
Though the Huskies mustered a lone goal in the second half, they played aggressively throughout. NIU fired 10 of its 12 total shots in the second half, outshooting Toledo 10-1 in that frame alone.
“We dominated, and we were a bit more relentless,” Paterson said. “When we went forward and something didn’t work out, we had a shot either on frame or a shot in general. Obviously, it was night and day from the first half to the second, so a really good response.”
The Huskies came close to scores in the 59th and 62nd minutes. Low right shots by graduate student forward Sahara Zingano and freshman forward Tyra King each crept close to the net before both were snatched by Toledo redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brielle Young.
NIU’s saving sequence began with a low-right goal shot by Frazer. The ensuing Toledo save repelled within striking distance of Thompkins, whose scoring shot rescued NIU from certain defeat.
NEITHER WIN NOR LOSS
Sunday’s draw snapped NIU’s two-game skid while simultaneously extending the Huskies’ win drought to six consecutive games.
The tie places Toledo and NIU adjacent to one another in the MAC standings, sitting at ninth and 10th, respectively.
NIU will remain home for its next match at 1 p.m. Thursday, when the Huskies will face the Ohio University Bobcats (3-4-2, 1-1 MAC). The game will be aired on NIU All-Access. Live statistics can be tracked on SIDEARM Sports.
