The NIU men’s soccer team showed pride as it went on to a 1-0 victory against Bowling Green on Saturday, a game that marked the official opening of the new soccer/track complex west of Huskie Stadium.

“It was a great home statement for us, especially on dedication day,” NIU head coach Steve Simmons said. “President [John] Peters was in our starting line; that’s unprecedented. We wanted to play well and get the win because it was a special day.”

Peters headlined the dedication ceremony along with Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeff Compher, Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities Eddie Williams, and all three teams who will use the field as their home.

Though the women’s track and field team left after the ceremony, the women’s soccer team brought the thunder from the stands, as they cheered for the men’s team (8-3-4 overall, 3-1-1 MAC) with Thunderstix.

“It makes you want to be a Huskie forever,” Simmons said about the unity among athletes at NIU. “They all share the common goal of unity and excellence.”

The Huskies reached excellence over Bowling Green (4-10-1, 0-5-0) in the game’s 62nd minute, when lead scorer Brad Horton notched his sixth goal of the season. The freshman received a 70-yard punt from goalkeeper Joe Zimka.

“Joe had a brilliant kick,” Horton said. “This ground is so slick, it’s like ice. I knew it was going to get through one of those times, so I just kept making the run and luckily it got to my foot, and I just put it in the back of the net.”

Prior to the goal, Horton was thrown to the ground by a Falcon defender creating physical play between the two. The Sycamore native said that the knock down fueled him to go in and get the goal.

“I was pretty angry but I try not to hurt other players by getting back at them like that,” Horton said. “I try to just do my own thing and score a goal. I’m not trying to get a red card and not play the next game.”

Horton’s goal gave Zimka his first career assist while between the pipes at the college level. His assist adds to his 20 career shutouts and NCAA record for a .21 goals allowed average.

“I kicked the ball, and he got the ball,” Zimka said. “I just kicked it as hard as I could, and I was looking for Brad. It got over the defender, and he put a good touch on the ball. He took it in with a good finish.”

The goal marked the only point of the game when the Huskies outshot the Falcons 15-12. NIU placed five shots on goal compared to BGSU’s three, and found five corner kicks to their four.

“It was a massive three points for us as far as getting a conference win,” Simmons said. “It really puts us in a good scenario heading into the last stretch.”