The NIU men’s soccer team’s 3-1 loss to Marshall on Sunday ended its six-game winning streak.

For the second consecutive game, the NIU men’s soccer team came out flat, coach Steve Simmons said.

NIU (7-4 overall, 1-1 MAC) allowed the Thundering Herd to score its first goal 4:15 into the game. The Herd’s Salvador Djeukeng knocked in a Kirk Gibson corner kick, and it stood as the only goal scored before halftime.

“They scored on us early, and we were playing catch up the entire game,” Simmons said. “Eventually, they caught us sleeping in some spots on defense.”

The game remained 1-0 until the Herd’s Jeremy Ashe made the score 2-0 on an unassisted goal with 2:55 to go in the game.

MU’s final goal came on a breakaway by Gibson at the 78:50 mark.

With 30 seconds remaining, NIU’s senior captain Andy Champion scored his first goal on the season after Curt Zastrow’s free kick came loose in front of the Herd’s net.

The goal was No. 16 of the year for the Huskies, tying last season’s total. NIU has seven games remaining on the season.

Champion missed the Huskies’ victory over Wisconsin Wednesday after pulling his hamstring in last Sunday’s contest against Western Michigan.

Huskies goalkeeper Steve Goletz recorded the loss. The sophomore holds a 3-3 record on the season. The Herd (5-4-1, 2-1) raised the Downers Grove native’s goals-against-average to 1.13.

“We gave up some soft goals,” Simmons said. “It’s a good lesson for this young team to learn that you’ve got to play sharp on the road.”

Simmons said he wants to see if NIU will come back in the right frame of mind when the team resumes practice at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

“We practice that early because it’s hard to get yourself started,” Simmons said. “You need to learn to get yourself going when it’s not convenient.”