The women’s soccer team continued to struggle on the road this weekend.

The Huskies (4-8-2, 2-2-1 MAC) battled Bowling Green (0-11-1, 0-5-1 MAC) to a 0-0 draw in double overtime Friday night. Sunday’s match against Central Michigan (4-9-1, 4-2 MAC) saw NIU give up three first-half goals in the losing effort. The Chippewas won 3-0.

Against Bowling Green, the Huskies failed to capitalize on their opportunities. NIU had 22 shots, including 11 in the second half. The Huskies kept Falcons goalie Lauren Cadel on her toes throughout the match. The Huskies were aggressive in the first 10 minutes, with Nicole Gobbo and Emily Nulty getting shots on goal, but NIU did not register another shot on goal until the second half. Goalie Amy Carr recorded her third shutout of the year.

NIU increased the pressure in the rest of the match, but with no success. Head coach John Ross was mostly pleased with the second-half effort.

“[In] the second half and both overtimes, we were really good,” Ross said. “We kept them under pressure. Our movements need to be sharper. We need to play simple. We have to sharpen up to get good opportunities instead of just opportunities.”

At Central Michigan, the Huskies’ first-half struggles emerged again. The Chippewas scored their three goals in the first 10 minutes of the match. Despite the early deficit, NIU still had plenty of chances to come back. Gobbo, Jess Wooldridge, Lauren Noonan and Frances Boukidis had multiple shots in the game. The Huskies had seven corner kicks and seven shots on goal.

“The second half was definitely better than the first,” Ross said. “We need to match the home team’s intensity.”

In both games, the Huskies improved their performance in the second half, and that has been a trend throughout the season. NIU has scored 10 second-half goals, while only scoring four in the first half.

With the weekend matches, the team’s road record drops to 0-7-1. There’s still reason for optimism, as the Huskies remain in the top eight of the MAC.

“We got a point on the road,” Ross said. “We still control our own destiny. We need to focus and do everything we can do to get a win or a point. If we’re going to be a good team, we need to get better on the road.”