DeKALB | In muddy, rainy conditions, the women’s soccer team earned its first MAC tournament berth since 1998.

NIU (6-10-2 overall, 5-6 MAC) defeated Western Michigan (3-15-1, 2-9) 3-0 in DeKalb on Thursday.

“We had to give 100 percent effort for 90 minutes today and that is what we did,” assistant coach Paul Jobson said. “This was a huge game for a number of reasons. And as a program this was a goal for us as we build and our girls have given everything they’ve got to get us to this point.”

Karen Enockson scored the first goal for the Huskies in the 16th minute from an assist by Lisa Maier and Micaela Damas.

Enockson struck again in the 65th minute, as she found the back of the net off an assist from Thea Johnson. The goal put Enockson with nine goals for the season, tying her for the fifth-highest season total in school history.

To secure the win, Maddie Lehman scored the third goal for Huskies.

NIU goalie Lindsey Curnock posted her fifth shutout of the season which is the third highest in NIU history.

The Huskies will enter the MAC Tournament as the seventh seed and will travel to second-seeded Ohio in Athens on Sunday. NIU won 1-0 against Ohio in the last meeting with them.