The NIU women’s soccer team split two home games over the weekend, losing to the Green Bay Phoenix 1-0 Friday and winning 2-0 against in-state opponent Eastern Illinois University Panthers Sunday.

“A lot of good steps [this weekend]: first shutout, first win, first goals, and now it’s a matter of how we build on those things and keep that momentum going,” Head Coach Julie Colhoff said.

Friday: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

The Huskies rolled into Friday’s match with a chance to break their 0-5 record.

Four minutes into the game, Green Bay quickly put themselves up 0-1 when Phoenix junior defender Kayla Minor tapped a low cross inside the six-yard-box from senior forward Alycia Wright to open up the scoresheet.

“When you dig yourself a big hole, it’s a little harder to come back, so you have to pick up your urgency,” Colhoff said. “We had to switch our formation later in the game to try and commit numbers forward, but really I think you can’t give away goals, and that’s what we did.”

Green Bay added another goal at the 35-minute mark when first year midfielder McKayla Kertscher pounced on a loose ball inside the 18-yard-box placed just out of the reach of Huskie sophomore goalkeeper Megan Donnally.

The Huskies outshot Green Bay in the second half with a total of nine shots, forcing five saves from Green Bay goalkeeper Courtney Klatt, who ended the match with eight total saves.

NIU redshirt senior defender Delaney Loprieno and junior forward Abby Gregg led NIU with three shots each. Donnally finished the night with four saves.

Sunday: Eastern Illinois

After a day off, NIU reacted appropriately with a 2-0 win over the Eastern Illinois Panthers.

“It feels really good,” Colhoff said. “I think as a team yesterday and going into the game, we were talking about making those adjustments and really playing with pride in our home field, and they showcased that today.”

Gregg put the Huskies up ten minutes into the game. Sophomore forward Harley Hoppe whipped a cross to the second post where Gregg met the ball and sunk it into the net.

Gregg’s goal was not only her first goal of the year, but the first of the season for the Huskies. Hoppe’s assist was her first.

The Huskies were again able to get past EIU junior goalie Sara Teteak to seal the deal when Huskies’ junior forward Trudy Quidzinski scored the second goal of the match and her first of the year, to help deliver NIU their first win of the season.

The Panthers led the second half in shots with five on target, but they were no match for Donnally, who was tested numerous times ending the game with eight total saves and kept a clean sheet throughout the game, making it her first of the year.

The Huskies play at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, against the Northern Iowa University Panthers.