Oct. 10, 2008

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Northern Illinois men’s soccer team played through 110 minutes to a 1-1 tie against Buffalo, Friday.

Head Coach Steve Simmons complimented his team’s performance. 

“The guys did a super job being first and second to the ball,” Simmons said. “Being a yard ahead of the play all day long.”

Northern Illinois (6-2-3, 1-1-1 Mid-American Conference) went up 1-0 late in the first half, as Ben Thomas (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) headed a ball in off a throw-in from (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson/Oakland). 

“We went up 1-0, deservedly so, just before half time,” Simmons said. “It was a tribute to the hustle and first-to-the-ball principle that we worked on all week.”

After the goal, the Huskies kept the Bulls scoreless for nearly 40 minutes before a foul in the box gave Buffalo a penalty kick. Dan Bulley took advantage of the chance to tie the match in the 80^th minute. 

“Full credit to the boys for rising above and beyond the occasion and perform to what they did,” Simmons said. “It’s a pity there were a couple things outside their control that didn’t give them the deserved victory.”

The draw was also a near tie statistically. NIU outshot the Bulls 11-10, and each squad tallied six shots on goal. The Huskies held a slight advantage in corner kicks, 8-6. 

“It wasn’t an all out war scenario, but it was a typical hard fought MAC contest,” Simmons said. “We needed to be a step ahead in every single category, which I though we were in everything except the score.”

The Huskies travel to Wisconsin to face Milwaukee in the annual battle for the LeWang Cup, Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7:05 p.m.