There is a reoccurring pattern this season for the NIU men’s soccer team.

In the last two weeks, the Huskies have played two games over the weekend. Both times they have lost by one goal the first game, but regrouped by scoring the first goal in the second game only to find themselves on the short end of the stick in the end.

With an 0-4 record NIU coach Willy Roy remains optimistic with his group of guys.

“We look good in practice and we’re good enough to win,” Roy said.

The vocal leader of the team and co-captain, goalie Rasih Pala, shouts out directions from his position throughout the game. Though Pala can’t be all over the field at once, he certainly sees everything that goes on during the game, but the Huskies just can’t seem to pull everything together.

“The whole team just needs to wake up,” Roy said.

Friday, NIU faced off against Loyola University of Chicago in a whistle-happy game by officials, calling 50 fouls and six yellow cards being dished out.

The Huskie defense had its work cut out for them in the first half when Loyola held the ball on NIU’s side of the field for a good portion of the first 25 minutes of the game.

NIU had opportunities in the second half with three consecutive corner kicks, but every kick overshot the front of the goal by a good four yards.

At the 10:50 mark Bernhard Hagevik took a shot in which freshman forward Brendon Parrish tried to head in the rebound, but couldn’t put it in the net. The game eventually drifted into overtime in a 0-0 tie.

“We should be winning at home, but the bottom line is we missed it,” Roy said.

The Huskies let their guard down and Loyola took advantage with a quick strike when Joe Neirzwicki punched in the game winner 16 seconds into overtime.

NIU was outshot 19-13 in the game.

“We had an opportunity to win with two shots late [in regulation] and we lost it,” Roy said. “You just don’t give up a goal like that. We made a huge mistake by not clearing out the ball.”

NIU returned with renewed spirits and an aggressive demeanor against Eastern Illinois on Sunday. With the heat index putting the temperature over 100 degrees, the Huskies prepared for yet another heat-scorching contest.

Freshman midfielder Greg Cryns put NIU on top at the 33:48 mark with his first goal of the season, with the assists going to Jason Sullivan and Tony Deldin.

NIU continued its aggressiveness on offense, attacking EIU’s goal with reckless abandonment for the first 20 minutes of the game.

Eventually, EIU caught a break as Jimmy Klatter scored at the 22:51 mark, assisted by goalie Ryan Eames.

EIU got behind the Huskie defense a few times in the first half, but Pala was stone cold in goal.

Tempers began to flair at the end of the first half, providing only a sneak preview of what was to follow in the latter half of the game.

NIU’s iron men, Peter Agrimson and Cryns were on the field for the whole first half, helping preserve the 1-1 tie.

EIU’s Ryan Luckett and Dan Flahive decided to give Parrish a warm welcoming to collegiate soccer throughout the second half by knocking him down on more than one occasion.

Numerous scuffles continued throughout making the game of soccer began to resemble rugby more than anything else.

In the end, NIU came up short as Klatter and Jason Thompson cleaned up the scoring in the last seven minutes of the game, dropping NIU 3-1. NIU was outshot 27-22 with Pala making five saves.

“We’re afraid of losing and not concentrating enough on winning,” Roy said.