DeKALB — To kick off Mid-American Conference play, NIU’s women’s soccer hosted the Miami University Redhawks (4-3, 1-0 MAC) on Sunday afternoon. The Huskies (2-4-1, 0-1 MAC) were haunted by defensive mistakes leading to two early goals and a 2-0 defeat to Miami.
“First of all, credit to Miami, they’re a good side,” said NIU women’s soccer head coach Michael O’Neill. “They’re good at what they do and they put us under constant pressure. But I just felt like the intensity just wasn’t as high as it should be.”
Miami’s attack was aggressive in the first half, dominating possession and generating 6 shots and 5 corner kicks. Meanwhile, the Huskies struggled to find a rhythm and failed to record a single shot during this half.
In the seventh minute, the early RedHawks’ pressure led to a scramble from the Huskies’ defense and a tough shot saved by sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Pearson rebounded into open space for an easy finish by Miami junior midfielder Morhéa Hoefen.
Just 10 minutes later, a dangerous ball from a corner was delivered into the Huskies’ penalty area, where they struggled to clear the ball. Miami freshman forward/midfielder Caroline Motonson quickly took a chip shot that was just out of Pearson’s reach, doubling the advantage 2-0.
The Huskies looked for a response by controlling possession, but could not break down the RedHawks’ defense. A mix of costly fouls, slow transitions and indecisive passes in the final third prevented any momentum NIU hoped to generate.
“We unfortunately started out a bit slower and conceded an early goal,” said senior defender Aubrey Robertson. “And then ended up going down 2-0 before half time, and it was tough to climb out of that divot.”
The second half saw a much more organized and confident NIU team. Attacking duo senior forward Kelsi McLaughlin and sophomore forward Alyssa Stephenson paired up well and began generating key chances. McLaughlin took advantage of gaps in Miami’s defense and applied pressure with Stephenson dribbling past defenders on the wing, consistently looking for an open teammate.
Still, Miami was dangerous, outshooting NIU 10-7 in this half with set pieces giving NIU a difficult time. Long throw-ins and crosses into NIU’s penalty area made Miami a continuous threat even with NIU gaining momentum, but Pearson’s 6 saves kept the Huskies in arm’s reach.
In the 72nd minute, a late challenge from NIU resulted in a penalty kick for Miami and a moment to put the game to bed. However, it was sent over the bar, keeping the score 2-0 and giving NIU some life. Despite the Huskies’ chances, Miami held on to the 2-0 lead and took the three points, putting the Huskies at a 0-1 record in the MAC.
UP NEXT
The Huskies will visit the University of Toledo at 1 p.m. Thursday at Paul Hotmer Field in Toledo, Ohio. Live stats will be available on SIDEARM Sports
