The NIU men’s soccer team jumped back into the bull ring yesterday hoping to get back on track a season that has looked very promising.

But with lady luck failing to show up for the game to give the Huskies that much-needed edge, they lost yet another contest that could have gone either way.

“Our effort was good, but we blew too many opportunities and gave them too many easy goals, and you just can’t do things like that and win,” Head Coach Willy Roy said of his team’s performance after a 4-3 overtime loss to Marquette University.

The Warriors put the Huskies in a hole with 12:00 gone in the first half.

Brian Brewer headed in a pass which put the Warriors on top 1-0.

At the 16:00 mark, Brian Brewer struck again to give the Warrior’s the 2-0 lead with another head ball which was misplayed by Huskie goalkeeper Brad Norderng.

“I knew our inexperience in the goal would come back to haunt us someday and today it did, with Brad making a few costly mistakes,” Roy said.

With 16:00 left in the half, Huskie forward Brian Downs flicked an incoming ball into the Warrior penalty box to a waiting Nathan Mitchell, who turned to shoot and was fouled, which resulted in an NIU penalty kick.

Huskie midfielder Sigurd Slaastad made good on the shot which gave the Huskies the momentum.

With under 1:00 remaining in the half, Huskie defender Jay Konrad came up with a loose ball goal, which knotted the game up at two.

With little time expired in the second half Allen Stoltman put the Warriors back on top with a loose ball goal.

With :20 remaining, the Huskies regrouped and pulled off a show-stopper.

Sigurd Slaastad ended up with the ball in the Warrior’s left corner after a Huskie free kick. With an almost unbelievable shot he beat the keeper far post and sent the match into overtime.

“I hated to see the game get tied up in the last 20 seconds but they worked so damn hard for it and it was one hell of a shot,” Marquette Head Coach Steve Adlard said of the buzzer beater.

No sooner than the Huskies had clawed back into the game, they found a way to shoot themselves in the foot.

With 2:00 expired in the first overtime Huskie defender Ed Walenga made an errant pass which was intercepted by Marquette forward Brian Brewer.

Brewer blew by Huskie goalie Brad Norderng to record his third goal of the game and give the Warriors the 4-3 win.

“We need to find a solution to the problems our defense is having and if it means playing people that have never played in the back before then that is what we will do,” Roy said.

Illinois State University will be the next NIU opponent Sunday at 2 p.m. at the NIU Soccer Complex.