BLOOMINGTON, Ind. | Plenty of opportunities were available for the NIU men’s soccer team during its 1-0 loss to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

But nothing came of them.

A steady rain pounded Yeagley Field but still, NIU, trailing 1-0 and in the 22nd minute, had a golden opportunity to tie up the match when junior defender Chris Rufa was taken down from behind in the box which gave NIU a penalty kick.

MAC Newcomer of the Year Marcus McCarty lined up the ball knowing that only fifteen yards and Indiana goalkeeper Chay Cain were all that stood between the MAC’s leading scorer and a tied game.

“Before the match, we try to get a penalty kick read,” Cain said. “Coach let me know to try and keep central on McCarty, and I tried to cover as much of the middle as I could.”

McCarty wound up and skipped the ball right into the outstretched hands of the sophomore goalkeeper.

“I thought I had him beat,” McCarty said. “I had him leaning the wrong way, I hit it and thought I had him beat. He just made a great save.”

NIU kept the pressure on and controlled the attacking third of the pitch. Junior forward Curt Zastrow beat a defender and had a wide-open look in the 24th minute.

But a right-footed blast from 10 yards out by the Wisconsin native was nimbly turned away by Cain.

“We felt really, really good,” NIU coach Steve Simmons said. “We were getting our fair share of half chances; we needed just a half step here or there.”

McCarty wasn’t done taking chances. The Texas native split the IU defense in the 60th minute, ran at the net, and had Cain leaning to the right.

But a left-footed rocket shot struck the left post and ricocheted to senior midfielder Kevin Woerner, whose 20-yard shot sailed over the net.

And in the end NIU simply didn’t execute enough on its chances to walk away with a victory.