NIU women’s soccer (6-1-1) defeated the Valparaiso University Beacons (4-4) by a score of 2-1, earning its sixth win of the season to round out non-conference play.
NIU women’s soccer head coach Michael O’Neill reflected on the win.
“I think it wasn’t one of our best performances but we found a way to get over the line,” O’Neill said. “Some tired legs and some frustrated minds, but winning ugly is always a sign of a good team. It’s just that we can learn in those moments and for the next game to maybe relieve some of the pressure and be a little more front footed at times.”
NIU got on the board in the 5th minute, when junior forward Kelsi McLaughlin found the back of the net, scoring her second goal in as many games.
“I thought she was great today,” O’Neill said of McLaughlin. “One of her best games. I thought on both sides of the ball she was always a threat in possession. They couldn’t really handle her. She was huge for us, but I thought defensively she was so good in pressing and winning the ball back up the field to really set the tone early for us from a defensive standpoint. All around, she was very impactful today and that bodes well for us as a team.”
The Huskies limited the Beacons to 2 shots in the first 45 minutes, with graduate student goalkeeper Ary Purifoy recording 1 save.
In the 68th minute, junior forward Amber Best scored her first goal of the season to double the lead for the Huskies.
Three minutes later Valparaiso senior forward Addy Joiner slipped the ball past Purifoy to cut NIU’s lead in half.
The Beacons had their best opportunity to level the score in the 86th minute, but senior defender/forward Sam Gountounas sent the ball over the crossbar in a break for the Huskies.
NIU finished the match outshooting Valparaiso 12-9, with each team having 4 shots on goal. Purifoy notched 3 saves in the victory, while the Huskies forced Beacon freshman goalkeeper Hailey Wade to make 2 saves.
“Coming off all of these wins has definitely built momentum,” McLaughlin said. “I think we’re going to be very powerful coming into MAC play. I think we’re ready to show who we really are. They look at us as an underdog, but we’re ready.”
O’Neill reflected on the 6-1-1 record of the team and the attitudes going into conference play.
“We’ve got to use it to our advantage and make sure that we’re ready to go on Thursday,” O’Neill said. “ Now we’re playing for three points, three points in standings and in playoff standings at the end of the season. It’s great, but it’s gone. We’ve got a clean slate and we head into MAC play full of confidence.”
The Huskies look to continue a three-match win streak when they begin MAC play on the road at 6 p.m. CT Thursday against Miami University at Bobby Kramig Field in Oxford, Ohio. ChatterBox Sports will have a live stream of the match and SideArm Stats will be updating live stats.
