For the third year in a row, the NIU men’s soccer team lost in the first round of the MAC championship tournament.

Bernhard Hagevik continued to add to his collection of goals when he beat Marshall’s Jeremy Williams one minute and 51 seconds into the game.

Jason Sullivan rifled a crossing pass to Hagevik, who then used the crown of his head to score his sixth goal on the season.

Just 10:06 later, Marshall’s Kirk Gibson cracked the ball from 15 yards out to beat NIU goalkeeper Steve Goletz, leveling the score at one all.

The match began to resemble the shootout Marshall and the Huskies had in their last meeting on Oct. 25. The teams combining for 11 goals, ending in a NIU defeat.

Both teams defenses buckled down and wouldn’t allow either offense to score by the end of regulation.

The Huskies squandered their best opportunity to win when Marshall’s Rob Clouse was sent off with his second yellow card of the game with 7:23 to play in overtime, giving NIU an 11 on 10 advantage.

Neither the Huskies’ nor the Thundering Herd’s offenses could penetrate the stone-cold defenses of either team.

Into a shootout the game went, giving each team the chance to use their five best shooters against the opposition’s goalkeeper.

NIU coach Willy Roy put it best when saying, “In a shootout, anything can happen.”

Both Marshall and NIU’s five players were able to score. A sudden victory shootout followed

The Thundering Herd’s Dennis Ahebwa rifled a shot past Goletz, but the Huskies’ Brendon Parrish answered on the opposite end.

The offensive onslaught continued when Marshall’s David Spaulding was able to beat Goletz.

The suspense came to an end when NIU’s Eric O’Reilly missed wide of the net.

“I’m extremely proud of my team’s effort tonight,” Roy said. “This was a brutal physical match, but we didn’t back down from them at all. This was probably the best game we played all season. Unfortunately, it came down to one bad shot.”