All great things must come to an end.

NIU women’s soccer finished its season with a loss at Eastern Michigan in the first round of the MAC Tournament. The sixth-seeded Huskies (9-6-5 overall, 5-4-2 MAC) fell 2-0 to the third-seeded Eagles Sunday afternoon.

EMU (12-4-5, 6-2-3) got on the board in the game’s 32nd minute when Vanessa Atanasoski found the back of the net with a strike from about 30 yards out. The ball sailed over NIU goalkeeper Lindsey Curnock’s head for Atanasoski’s second goal on the year.

The Eagles struck again at the 81-minute mark when Katie Lozar scored off a corner kick.

NIU outshot the Eagles 10-9 in the match, but could not convert those shots to scores.

“We played very well today, but the ball just didn’t bounce our way,” said NIU head coach Carrie Barker. “I don’t think we could have done anything much different. It just wasn’t meant to be our game today.”

The Huskies had been struggling to score in the last two matches as both games resulted in shutouts. Senior Thea Johnson attributes that to not capitalizing on opportunities.

“We just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net today,” Johnson said. “We just couldn’t finish.”

However, Barker does not want the team to dwell on the results. All season long, the first-year coach preached continuous improvement and passionate play to the team.

“It’s disappointing to lose, but each girl played their hearts out,” Barker said. “They shouldn’t have any regrets. They all should be proud.”

Sunday’s defeat means the end of the season for the team, as well as the end of four seniors’ collegiate careers. Along with Johnson, departing from NIU following this season are: Jestina Orlando, Jenna Clauson and Erin Fahey.

“This is a great group of girls,” Johnson said. “We’ve done a lot of great things. I’m just sad it’s all over.”

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