Two weekend matches led to two heartbreaking losses for the NIU women’s soccer team.
“I feel numb,” said NIU midfielder Cara Stutler.

By the time the clock expired Sunday afternoon, the harsh reality set in that the Huskies (4-10-2, 0-6-2 MAC) are most likely going to miss out on the MAC tournament.

“We will have to wait and look at today’s results to see if there is any chance left,” NIU head coach Carrie Barker said. “We played really well and don’t have anything to show for it.

The Huskies had hoped to build momentum against MAC leaders Central Michigan (12-3-0, 8-0-0) and Eastern Michigan (8-3-5, 4-1-3) in their final home stand of the season.

CMU arrived in DeKalb having out-scored opponents 20-0 in its last nine games. The Huskies gave the Chippewas all they could handle, battling them into overtime in a scoreless game.

With darkness closing in and a cold rain falling Chippewa midfielder Chelsi Abbott sent the ball high into the air from nearly 25 yards out five minutes into the overtime period. Breaking back,
NIU goalie Lindsey Curnock could only looked stunned as the ball curved into the top right corner of the net to sink the Huskies 1-0.

“We dominated the entire second half,” Curnock said. “It’s just another one of those unlucky breaks that keep happening.”

Things continued to unravel Sunday in the last-minute loss to Eastern Michigan.
After a scoreless first half, the Eagles found the net quickly in the second half as midfielder Katie

Lozar knocked in a header past a diving Curnock.

The Huskies weren’t going down without a fight as they answered with a goal of their own less
than two minutes after the EMU score. Sophomore Kelsey Passaglia found the left corner of the net for her second goal of the season off defender Mo Smunt’s corner kick.

NIU continued to heavily pressure the Eagles in the second half, keeping the ball in EMU territory for most of the time.

The battle continued into the final 30 seconds of the game when NIU’s Micaela Damas was called for a foul in the Huskies’ box. A visibly upset Damas continued to yell at the referee while the Eagle’s Ashley Rodrigues nailed the penalty to give EMU a 2-1 lead.

“A referee should never make a call like that with less than a minute to go,” Smunt said.

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