DeKALB – NIU women’s soccer (2-0-1) soared over the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (0-3-1) with a 6-1 victory as sophomore forward Tyra King notched her first two goals of the season.
King started the scoring early, receiving a pass deep in Southern Indiana territory, slipping past the goaltender and finding a wide open net to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute.
“I was getting a slip pass on the left side over there, and I saw the keeper coming at me pretty aggressively,” King said. “So, I just took a touch past her, and then I slipped it in with my left foot.”
King, who led the Huskies in goals last season, tacked on a second goal in the 64th minute for her first multi-goal game of her collegiate career.
“She’s (King) one of the hardest working kids in the conference,” said women’s soccer head coach Michael O’Neill. “She’s very strong, she’s very powerful, she’s very technical, and the goals are just a reward for her work ethic.”
RUNAWAY TRAIN
NIU entered halftime locked in a 1-1 tie after Southern Indiana junior midfielder Emerson Grafton capitalized on an NIU turnover near midfield, but the Huskies took no time reclaiming their lead in the second half.
Senior defender Lea Gruennagel put the Huskies back on top in the 47th minute. Adding to her score against the University of St. Thomas in the game prior, Gruennagel has matched her goal total from 2023 in the third game of the 2024 season.
“We worked really hard on offense this year, and it paid off,” Gruennagel said. “I’m really happy that I can help the team accomplish that.”
Junior forward Kelsi McLaughlin added to the lead in the 52nd minute, scoring her second goal in a Huskie uniform.
The win was capped off with scores from sophomore forward Mikayla Rivera and freshman midfielder Mckenna Campbell-Turkalj, the first goals of each of their collegiate careers.
Keeping the Screaming Eagles at bay was graduate student goalkeeper Ary Purifoy, totaling five saves on the day.
NEW YEAR, NEW TEAM
After scoring 17 goals in 19 games in 2023, NIU has scored 10 goals in three trips to the pitch in 2024.
“I think we’re just more aggressive towards the goal,” King said. “I think last year we were more possession-based, and we were knocking it around a little too much. And now we’re just, like, driving towards the goal and taking our opportunities.”
With goals flowing early in the season, a joyful attitude has found its way to this team and its coach.
“One of the girls on the sideline, while I was coaching the last 10 minutes, says, ‘I’ve never seen coach so happy,’” O’Neill said. “So, I think that sums it up, you know, it’s always nice to score goals.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies return to action noon CT Sunday to face Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Live stats will be available via SIDEARM Stats.
