DeKALB – Searching for their first win in September, NIU women’s soccer hosted the University of Akron Zips (3-3-3, 0-1-2 MAC) on Thursday night. This Mid-American Conference matchup ended in a 0-0 draw for the Huskies (2-4-3, 0-1-2 MAC), who now sit second to last in the MAC with two points.
“That’s the MAC and that’s Akron, a very physical team so we have to give as good as we get,” said NIU women’s soccer head coach Michael O’Neill. “Today was just another game and that physicality was paramount to having success.”
A couple fouls from both sides early on set the very physical tone of the game with NIU committing 10 of the 14 fouls in the first half. Sturdy defenses made it difficult for either side to establish any confident possessions in the first 45 minutes.
Freshman forward Mya Newcombe applied pressure on both sides of the field, attacking from the wing while tracking back and making key steals in the midfield. Newcombe led the game with four total shots, two on goal, and was key in keeping the Huskies’ momentum going.
Sophomore forward Alyssa Stephenson was also crucial for the attack, keeping the Zips’ defense busy all game. Stephenson’s dribbling talent into gaps left by Akron constantly opened up chances for NIU.
The second half played out much like the first, as neither team could find the back of the net despite some close calls. Akron redshirt freshman goalkeeper Ariana Vakos came up big for Akron with four total saves, including inside and outside the box attempts from NIU in the dying moments of the game to seal a 0-0 result and a point for both sides.
“We threw the kitchen sink at them; we put wingers at outside backs, big center backs down the middle because I knew the importance of one goal,” O’Neill said. “I was prepared to lose for it, which sounds crazy, but we’re in a position where we need to win games.”
Despite the even possession – roughly 51% for Akron and 49% for NIU – the Huskies generated four chances in the box and pinned the Zips in their half for decent stretches of the game.
“Today was definitely a tiring game,” said senior defender Sophia White, who played all 90 minutes. “Defense gave us a good foundation, up top we were pressing really hard, and I think everyone showed a lot of energy today.”
O’Neill emphasized the team’s first clean sheet in five games; the first since their 0-0 draw against the University of St. Thomas on Aug. 21.
“That clean sheet, it’s been a while since we’ve got that,” O’Neill said. “We’ll take some pride from that and hopefully we can start working on the other end and start winning games.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies look to earn their first MAC win on the road against the University of Massachusetts Amherst at 2 p.m. Sunday at Rudd Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be updated on StatBroadcast.
