After a disappointing start to the season, it appears that the tide is turning for the NIU men’s soccer team.
Winning the first game of the season against Western Illinois University seemed to be a promising start, but the Huskies then went on to lose six of their next seven games.
Since the Sept. 26th no-contest against Loyola, where the Huskies were threatened with a fifth straight loss, NIU is 2-0-1 and are well within reach of a conference tournament berth.
The last four games of the season are pivotal, as they are, all against conference opponents. If NIU wants the chance to compete in the championship tournament, they are going to need to play better than they have.
NIU will face Western Michigan University (9-1-3), Belmont University (7-4-2), University of Illinois Chicago (8-3-2) and Bowling Green University (5-5-3) to wrap up their season. All four teams are currently above NIU in MVC standings, so these crucial games are going to be competitive.
The offense has improved over the most recent games, with sophomore midfielder Angel Rodriguez having the lone goal against both Marquette University (1-0) and Drake University (1-1). Senior midfielders Eddie Knight and Camilo Estrada have three goals each, and have been the needed spark for the offense.
While the Huskies have been moving in a positive direction, I fear that it is still too little offense at this point in the season. NIU has not scored more than two goals in a game since Sept. 12 against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and I am doubtful that one goal is going to be enough to defeat tougher MVC competition.
A bright spot in the season has been the goalkeeping which will be put to the test in the late stages of this season. Senior goalkeeper Jakub Rojek has recorded 37 saves in eight games and freshman Atahan Arslan has recorded 11 saves in three games.
The Huskies have allowed 17 goals this season, but the two goalkeepers have 48 saves between them. I am hopeful that the goalkeeping will help keep the Huskies in these crucial games and allow the offense to keep pace.
Another thing that will be key for the Huskies is starting the game with the same attack seen after halftime. In the first half this season, the Huskies have scored 7 goals and have taken 49 shots.
In the second half, NIU has scored 8 goals and taken 61 shots. If NIU can keep the pressure seen in the second half consistent throughout the first half and create more scoring opportunities, they have the talent to finish and score.
The Huskies have four more games to prove themselves and continue the positive momentum, but I am skeptical that the improvements are enough. NIU will face some of the top teams in the MVC, and they have not played consistently up to this point.
I am hopeful that they have displayed talent both offensively and defensively, but the team will need to be playing its best soccer on both ends of the field in order to defeat its opponents and play for a championship
The Huskies begin their crucial late-season stretch at Western Michigan University. They face off at 3 p.m Wednesday in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Live streaming is available through Broncos All-Access. Live stats will also be updated through StatBroadcast.
