One goal from junior forward Taisei Arima was not enough for the NIU men’s soccer team (4-7-1, 1-3-1 MVC) to defeat the Western Michigan University Broncos (10-1-3, 4-0-1 MVC).
Despite the loss, NIU holds on to the sixth spot in MVC standings.
The Huskies were outshot 20-12 in the loss, with the Broncos having a 9-6 advantage for shots on goal. Of 12 shots for the Huskies, 8 came in the second half of the match.
The first goal came in the 34th minute from Western Michigan graduate student forward Dylan Sing, who also scored a second goal in the 40th minute. The final goal from the Broncos came in the 74th minute from graduate student forward/midfielder Tom Cooklin.
Senior goalkeeper Jakub Rojek, who is the reigning MVC Defensive Player of the Week, notched 6 saves over the course of 90 minutes, despite allowing the three goals.
NIU men’s soccer head coach Ryan Swan praised Rojek’s performance.
“I thought he had a fantastic game,” Swan said. “He just didn’t quite get the help that we would want him to.”
Western Michigan graduate student goalkeeper Ethan Brandt recorded five saves against the Huskies, allowing one goal in the 72nd minute from Arima. Arima created two shots on goal during the match, including the goal.
Looking toward the next match this weekend against MVC opponent Belmont University, Swan described what he wants to see from the team.
“We played a very good team today that punished us for our mistakes,” Swan said. “For us, I think we just need to continue the work, continue to do things that are successful. I think that Western had a game plan, and they stuck to it. I think their guys are very disciplined in that. We’re not quite as disciplined as a team when it comes to sticking to the game plan. If we can tighten that up, then I think we have a really good chance of having the season go on into the postseason.”
NIU plays next at 1 p.m. Sunday at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex against Belmont University. The game will be streamed on NIU All-Access, and live stats will be available through SideArm Stats.
