Facing a 2-0 deficit after one-half of play, the NIU field hockey team came back to tie the Miami (OH) Redskins, but ended the game in a double-overtime deadlock Saturday at Huskie stadium.

Huskie coach Laurie Bell was disappointed with her team’s first-half performance but pleased with the domination and ball control executed during the second frame of play.

“We looked really sluggish and played sloppily in the first half, and we were lucky to have come out with a tie,” Bell said.

Both teams battled for the ball in a midfield struggle, trying to penetrate the opposing defenses. With eight minutes left in the first half, Redskin forward Louise Hendershott knocked in the first goal of the game on a pass from teammate Debby Schroeder as the Redskins sported a 1-0 lead.

With thirty-nine seconds remaining in the half, the Redskins delivered pressure to the Huskie defense, unloading a number of shots on goal. Redskin link Jerry Foehrkolb slipped in the second goal for UM to give the Redskins the 2-0 halftime lead.

“We plugged the open spaces, (we) were sure with the sticks and our passing really improved,” Bell said. “We had numerous opportunities to score but just couldn’t get it going,”

But NIU got it going in the second half when it consistently pressured the Redskin defense, monopolizing the ball and allowing the Redskins just three second-half shots-on-goal.

Leading the Huskie charge were freshmen attackers Anne Marie Roozendahl and Laura Wehrman, junior midfielder Jady Psek and senior center-fullback Mary Fike provided stability through the middle of the field.

After fourteen minutes of offensive domination, NIU scored its first goal after the Redskins delivered a 16 yard hit. Fike lofted the ball over the defense and into the goal to slice the Redskin lead to 2-1.

Unloading 24 shots on goal, NIU forced the Redskins to play defense and then added another goal with 2:14 remaining in regulation play. After the three penalty corner shots, Huskie senior defender Anne Zalewski slipped a shot in the goal, tying the game at 2-2.

Although the Huskies continued to dominate the ball, neither team could score and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.

“I feel we could have won because we really dominated in the second half and should have scored in overtime,” Bell said.

NIU takes on Michigan State this Wednesday at Huskie Stadium carrying a 6-2-1 record.