Progress was made Sunday as the NIU women’s soccer team finally reached the board in a 1-0 victory over Central Michigan.

The Huskies (3-6, 1-4) already have equaled their victory total from last year and have six home games in October to help aid their quest for a winning season.

The loan goal came with just over nine minutes gone in the second half when junior Akiko Iwabuchi, who last weekend started in goal, netted her first career goal. What is even more impressive was it was Iwabuchi’s first shot of her NIU career.

Iwabuchi took a pass from junior Denise Papke and lobbed it over the head of a charging Central Michigan goalkeeper for the game winner.

“This was probably the best 90 minutes we’ve played all year,” coach Frank Horvat said. “We had been working on some things this week in practice and today we applied them.”

The defense was solid once again as the Huskies denied two Chippewa corner kicks in the final minutes before clearing the ball to preserve the conference win.

After missing Friday’s game, junior goalkeeper Leigh Steigerwald did her part as she recorded her second shutout of the season. Steigerwald denied all nine Central Michigan shots, including a diving save in the final minutes of the game.

But before the Huskies could celebrate their victory, they suffered a demoralizing 2-0 defeat Friday at the hands of tournament hosts Eastern Michigan.

Jessica Hupe added to her goal total as she scored her ninth and 10th goals of the season to lead the Eagles. Hupe hit the back of the net twice within four minutes for the only scores of the game.

While NIU managed just one shot on goal for the third time this season, Eastern Michigan blasted freshman goalkeeper Carrie Dvorak with 14 shots on goal. Dvorak, who sat out the last six games with a sprained thumb, recorded 12 saves, including nine in the first half as EMU outshot the Huskies 13-3.