If the NIU women’s soccer team were a band, it would be named Marci Miller and the Heartbreakers. The Huskies dramatically lost a pair of MAC contests this weekend, 1-0 to Kent State Friday, and 3-2 in double OT to Buffalo Sunday.

NIU (4-7-2, 2-4 MAC) has lost their last 2 MAC contests, and also will lose their coach, Marci Miller, for a week as she competes with the U.S. National team in California.

A 25-yard goal off a direct kick from Katie Fage gave Buffalo a dramatic 3-2 win, and made the 9-hour bus trip back to DeKalb even longer for NIU.

“The girls came out a little flat today,” Miller said. “In the second half we came out with a lot of energy. It is tough to play on the road and I am proud of the effort they gave in the overtime period.”

Jenna Clausen kept up her torrid offensive play, as her goal in the 65th minute tied the game at 1-1. It is the third goal of the season for Clausen, and the freshman has made her presence felt on offense since the start of conference play.

Alexis Terry scored her second goal of the season 90 seconds later, when she pounded an indirect kick from Elaine Eliadis into the left side of the net.

The 2-1 NIU lead stood for only 90 seconds. Brooke McCalla of BU converted a penalty kick to tie the game 2-2.

Defense led the way again for NIU Friday, but in the end the heartbreak stole the show in a 1-0 loss at Kent State.

The game was a defensive struggle tied 0-0 until the 85th minute. Kent substitute Ashley Bohinc controlled a deflected header and flipped a high shot into the right side of the net for the game winner.

Senior goal keeper Carrie Dvorak had a solid game between the pipes, high-lighted by a punch save on a bullet shot from outside the box that deflected off the cross bar. Dvorak had seven saves in the game and was the beneficiary of tough defensive play from Katie Sturges.

“Sturges was stellar tonight,” assistant coach Paul Jobson said. “She really limited the looks that [Kent stand-out Kimberly] Dimitroff got on the goal. She only took three shots and none of them were on goal.”

NIU thought it took the lead in the 66th minute on a goal by Clausen, but it was erased by an off sides call. Clausen almost tied the game near the end of regulation, but her header went wide left of the post.

Six of seven NIU losses have been by one goal and Miller said NIU did all they could to win.

“The girls played real well tonight,” Miller said. “We did everything we had to do. It is tough being on the road, and we played hard tonight. We worked hard to score but sometimes you catch bad breaks.”