Women’s soccer fell to 2-12-1 over the weekend after a loss to Ball State and a tie with Miami (Ohio) this weekend at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.

Ball State

The Cardinals (11-3-2, 7-1 MAC) came out fast paced against the Huskies as senior midfielder Chelsy Swackhamer scored her seventh goal on the season in the fifth minute of play. Swackhamer’s goal was assisted by midfielder Kalynn Flanagan and went in the bottom left corner.

The Cardinals scored for a second time about two minutes later, tapping the ball in from a rebound and bringing the score to 2-0 in the first ten minutes of play.

Sophomore midfielder Lauren Gierman received a yellow card in the 13th minute and was sidelined to avoid any further foul calls that could’ve risked her playing time in the game.

NIU senior defender Ashley Auble also received a yellow card in the 43rd minute of play. The Huskies continued to look for opportunities to score with redshirt junior midfielder Mackenzie Lewis taking two shots and senior forward Nicole Gobbo recording one on goal.

The Huskies’ attempts to get on the board were unsuccessful throughout the game. Ball State outkicked the Huskies and took 76 percent of its shots on goal. The Huskies and Cardinals ended the game tied in corner kicks.

Junior defender Lorina White kicked an unassisted goal into the bottom right corner in the 49th minute of play, and Swackhamer scored the final goal of the game, firing the ball from the 25 yard line in the 61st minute and giving Ball State the 4-0 win.

“We faced a very quality opponent tonight and couldn’t afford to get off to a bad start,” said head coach John Ross.

“Unfortunately, that’s what happened,” Ross said. “We need to work on having a good minute, then turn that into a good five minutes and 10 minutes, then build on that for the entire game. Now we have to pick ourselves up.”

Miami

Women’s soccer finished off the weekend against Miami (Ohio) (9-5-1, 5-2-1 MAC), celebrating senior day on Sunday.

The Huskies started the game trading shots and kicks to keep the RedHawks outside of scoring reach. NIU had an early opportunity to score in the 15th minute of the game, but wasn’t in position to make the play.

The RedHawks came out aggressively with a foul and two offsides calls within the first five minutes. Senior forward Haley Walter nearly scored for Miami on a drive to the goal in the 43rd minute. The Huskies were able to regain possession of the ball quickly when Walter tripped during her run.

The RedHawks kicked four shots in the first half, two of them on goal. Gierman had a shot on goal for the Huskies, and freshman midfielder Emilie Furuseth Haugan recorded a shot in the first half as well.

“We all came out really excited,” Gobbo said. “We played well and played hard. For the first time, we played as a team.”

The Huskies and RedHawks entered the second half with a 0-0 tie. Sophomore goalkeeper Amy Annala started the half with an big save for the Huskies in the 51st minute of play, keeping the score tied. The pace advanced on the field, but neither team could find the goal in the second half, sending the game to overtime. There were several opportunities in overtime to score, but both teams continued to play tough defensively, keeping the game scoreless.

“To just keep our heads up and keep working, and then on a day like today when it showed for the first time in a long time, it feels great,” Gobbo said.

The Huskies were slow to take shots and couldn’t compare to Miami’s six corner kick opportunities. A combination of defense and goalkeeping kept the Huskies in the game. Annala saved every shot attempted on goal for the Huskies. The Huskies and RedHawks ended the game in double overtime with a 0-0 tie.

The Huskies’ season “isn’t over,” Ross said. “Everyone played to their ability and gave everything they had. It’s just a real good senior day for a special group of seniors.”

The Huskies will head to Bowling Green, Ohio, for a matchup against Bowling Green (6-9-1, 2-6 MAC) at 6 p.m. Friday before traveling to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to compete against Eastern Michigan (5-9-2, 2-5-1) at noon on Sunday.