Nov. 16, 2008

Follow the NIU men's soccer team as it prepares to face Akron for the MAC Championship at 1 p.m., and check-in during the game for live commentary from the press box.

Akron 1, NIU 0

104:52 - Steve Zakuani scores on after a cross from the right side. The pass was a beauty, and gave Zakuani a lot of space. Zimka had to come meet him, and Zakuani beat him to put the ball in the net and end the game.

In  my eyes, the Huskies played of their best matches of the season. Northern Illinois had several opportunities, and were a very close second to the fourth-ranked team in the country.

6:14 left in OT2

Danny Lopez dribbled through Akron defenders into the box, but Akron keeper Evan Bush picked up his cross.

8:15 left i OT2

Throw in for NIU results in a foul on the Huskies.

9:00 left in Ot2

Zakuani was called offsides for sixth or seventh time.

End of OT1

We will see another 10 minute period. If no one scores in that time, the MAC Title will be decided by penalty kicks.

2:30 left in OT1

An Akron player laid a wicked cross in for Zakuani, but Zimka got to it first,

4:00 left in OT1

Luis De La Cerda checks in for Alex Evert. Just after, an Akron player made a great run through the middle, but Zimka scooped up the  ball before the Zips made anything of it.

6:12 left in OT1

Zakuani slipped a defender and took a shot that Tim King blocked out of bounds. Akron got the ensuing corner but made nothing of it.

Not too much action so far. But, for the record, this has been a great match to watch,

Overtime

Rules reminder for college overtime. It is a golden goal situation, so the first team to score wins. If, after two 10 minute periods, no one has scored, the match will go to penalty kicks. In a PK scenario, each team will select five shooters, who will try and put a shot from 12 yards out past the opposing keeper. The team with the most scores out of the five would then be MAC Champion.

1:00-0:00 left in 2nd

Foul on NIU gives Akron a free kick just outside of the right side of the box. A head from the Zips was punched out by Zimka. NIU cleared the ball shortly after, running out the clock and sending the match to overtime.

4:00 left in 2nd half

Ben Thomas, Brad Horton and Engebreth Faerden all check into the game for NIU.

8:20 left in 2nd half

An NIU defensive slip led to a cross, and a shot from Mstt Tutich, which was saved by Zimka. It looks like all players are having trouble getting anything on their shots.

Alex Evert just reentered the match for Aaron Zendejas.

10:00 left in 2nd  half

Shot from Tutich led to an Akron corner, which was headed by Akron out of bounds.

12:00 left in 2nd half

NIU foul deep in their territory,  left side has led to a free kick for Akron. Darlington Nagbe took a shot off the kick, which was blocked by the Huskies.

17:00 left in 2nd half

Subs: Alex Evert, Chris Johnson and Aaron Zendejas in for NIU. Zakuani back in for the Zips.

Also, it stopped snowing about 15  minutes ago,

20:00 left in 2nd half

Zemanski took a shot on the ground that Zimka scooped. Thomas countered for NIU, but fired high.

22:00 left in 2nd half

NIU corner kick, taken by Luis De La Cerda. Josh Karsten got a head on it, but missed, and NIU sent it into the box twice more before Akron obtained possession,

25:40 left in 2nd half

Akron's Matt Tutich got some space and took a shot from the right side that Zimka saved,

Ben Thomas countered for NIU with a shot that was blocked followed by a shot from Danny Lopez that was saved by Bush. A few moments later, Thomas scored on a breakaway, but the official called a handball on NIU just before the goal, negating the play.

31:00 left in 2nd half

Akron's Bunbury just took a shot on a wide open breakaway, but missed wide while trynig to put it past NIU keeper Zimka.

36:00 left in 2nd half

NIU is really pressuring in the last couple minutes, but Akron held the Huskies off.

Also, Zakuani just checked out of the match.

39:00 left in 2nd half

Brad Horton just lasered a shot inches high. Another good chance for NIU.

Meanwhile, Akron's Zakuani has been whistled for offsides three times in the half.

42:00 left  in 2nd half

Zimka just made a terrific save of a shot from Ben Zemanski. The snow has covered the field.

Halftime Update Two

Dee Abrahamson, NIU's Senior Woman Administrator, noted that, despite the snow, the crowd is actually quite good. In the hundreds.

Halftime

Really solid first half. I'd say it was 60-40 Akron, but a very close match, so far. Akron  has been credited with six shots to Northern Illinois' one, but most have been well high of the target. The Zips have had three corners to one for the Huskies.

The snow is really coming down now. Starting to stick to the field over the last five minutes. By the start of the second half, we could be playing on a thin layer of snow.

3:15 left in 1st half

Zimk just made his first save. Zakuani passed a ball to a teammate, who was freed up by a defensive slip. Ampaipitkwong for Akron took the shot, from 12 yards, and Zimka punched it away.

9:30 left in 1st half

Mojica just served up a nice ball into the box for Jor, who headed high and wide of the goal.

12:50 left in 1st half

Simmons just subbed in four players. Aaron Zendejas, Finn Jor, Luis Mojica, and Jason Guehler. That's more subbing than the Huskies usually go with.

Snow update: still coming down, a little bit harder now.

17:30 left in 1st half

Brad Horton just dribbled 40 yards before finding Ben Thomas and Danny Lopez in the area. The Huskies were unable to get off a shot, but it was there best offensive run of teh game.

Zakuani didn't come out gunshy. He dribbled through on the counter and took a shot, which went high of the goal.

20:00 left in 1st half

Zakuani just checked in. He leads the nation in goals with 19, and is a candidate for the men's soccer version of the Hesiman Trophy, the Hermann Trophy.

26:00 left in 1st half

The snow has returned. Again, no blizzard, but it's a testament to the temperature.

Also, the aforementioned MAC Player of the Year, Steve Zakuani is "warming up," if you can do such a thing in this weather.

31:00 left in 1st  half

Matt Tutich of Akron just slipped through on the right side and layed a on shot on target that was blocked by Josh  Karsten, before Zimka swooped in to pick the ball off the ground in the six-yard box.

Field is worsening at a rapid pace.

34:00 left in 1st half

The field is already doing some damage. Danny Lopez slipped while chasing a ball in Akron's box. No serious harm was done. He's fine, but the play is definitely being affected.

Akron had a corner kick that was taken in an odd direction by the wind, but the header was wide. The game has been pretty slow thanks to the turf, so that shot was the best chance for either team to this point.

2:03 p.m. (EST) 42:00 1st Half

Limited crowd compred to Friday night's semifinal between Akron and Hartwick, which had over 1,000 in attendance. Akron allows a fan group to stand behind the opposing goalkeeper, and there are about 50 students harrassing NIU keeper Joe Zimka.

In addition Zimka, NIU is starting Steve Kolzow, Josh Karsten, Tim King and Kyle Knotek on the backline. Drew Jeskey is starting in his normal defensive-midfield position, with Danny Lopez, Luis De La Cerda, Brad Horton and Alex Evert in the midfield. Ben Thomas is the Huskie forward.

1:58 p.m. (EST)

Just about ready to kick off. Just got word from the Akron SID that MAC Player of the Year Steve Zakuani will not start, due to a slight ankle injury. He said Zakuani may play, but the field conditions will play a factor in that decision.

Speaking of the field conditions... the snow has slowed considerably. It's back to very light flurries, but the field is a pretty soft because of the rain and snow over the last two days. The west end of the field is downright muddy, while the east side is a little nicer. Paul Warner, the aforementioned Akron SID, told me it's because the field only has an effective drainage system on one side.

As for the temperature, it is very cold. There's a stiff breeze out of the west, making a tolerable 34 feel like 24.

I'll be blogging throughout the match with a laymen's soccer commentary. You can also check the live stats here.

12:15 p.m. (EST)

It's snowing.

Make no doubt about it now. It's definitely snowing. The light flurries of this morning have relented to a steady snowfall. It's not blizzard, but if it keeps up, it could affect the game. Being about as far from a soccer afficianado as it gets, I can't say exactly how.

I do know this: the field was slipperly when Akron played Hartwick, Friday night. That same field has now been played on five times in the last three days (though practices are held at an indoor facility next door). No pitch is meant for that type of wear. Assuming the snow keeps up, this could turn into a muddy affair. Visibility could also be impacted... we'll see when we get closer to kick-off.

But enough meteorology. The team gathering in the lobby, loading their belongings onto the bus. Win or lose, we head back to DeKalb after the game. They seem ready, while I've got butterflies.

As I'm typing this, I got word from Volunteer Assistant Coach Michael Rumpf that we do have another motivational video. I guess you go with what works.

10:20 a.m. (EST)

This is assistant director of media relations Russell Houghtaling. I'm here with the team in Akron, Ohio, as they get ready to play Akron, the top seed in the MAC Tournament and fourth-ranked team in the nation, for the Mid-American Conference Championship.

So far, the tournament has gone according to plan. The Huskies opened the tournament, Thursday, with a 2-0 win over Bowling Green. NIU dominated the run of play, forcing the Falcons into an own goal in the first half, and adding another score in the second half. Friday's match against Buffalo also went well, as Josh Karsten scored on a header to give NIU a 1-0 win.

Akron had a first round bye, and came back from a 1-0 deficit to beat Hartwick on penalty kicks.

The team seems settled and ready. I think yesterday's day off after two games in two days really benefited the guys. The team just had a couple hours of study tables, and a light training session. The team's athletic trainer Cody Emberton, said it was "a fantastic day to have off." He knows a lot more about that stuff than I do, so I definitely trust his opinion. He also makes some tasty pretzels.

The plan for today is to pack up and check out of the hotel at 12:15 (EST), then have a team meeting and get on the bus for Lee Jackson Field. I know before the Buffalo game, the team was shown a little motivational video made up of clips from throughout the season. Not sure how the coaches plan to get the guys juiced for today.

I just asked Cody to pull the blinds open in our hotel room, and we could hardly see out the window. A combination of a foggy window, and thick haze cut visibility way down. After wiping the fog away, we can see the occasional snowflake lazily float by. I'm guessing it's somewhere in the lower-30s, but not quite freezing.

I'll give another weather update when we're a little closer to game time, and, of course, keep updating this one-day blog through the match and after.