DeKALB | Time was of the essence with only 2:36 remaining in overtime of the NIU men’s soccer team’s first round NCAA Tournament game against Loyola Saturday.

Senior midfielder Kevin Woerner waited patiently on the west sideline of a rain-soaked Huskie Soccer Field as his teammates set up for his throw-in.

Junior defenders Steve Algozino and Chris Rufa strutted their 6-foot-1 and taller frames into Loyola’s goalkeeper box with hopes to head in a game-winning goal.

NIU junior Marcus McCarty, the MAC’s leading scorer, also made his way to the front of the net as Woerner prepared for his throw-in.

“My plant foot was slipping a lot on other throw-ins,” Woerner said. “The first couple were short, but Steve and Rufa are easy to hit. My No. 1 goal is always to get the ball to a big man.”

NIU’s game-winning play began with Woerner turning his jog into a full-out sprint as he glided towards the sideline before launching an over-the-head throw-in toward Loyola’s net.

Woerner found one of his main targets as Algozino nicked the ball before McCarty tipped the ball across the front of the goal.

There sat the ball, lying freely in front of the net, waiting to be jettisoned in any direction by someone, anyone’s foot.

Fortunately for the Huskies, the foot was that of senior midfielder Justin McGrane.

‘Juice,’ as McGrane is called, fought for position on the right side of the net before connecting on a low-line drive kick that sent the ball into the bottom right side of Loyola’s net.

“They told me to go to the backside post, and I knew the throw was going into the wind,” McGrane said. “I tried to get a flick on it, and … right time, right place.”