Jordan Godsey
Senior goalkeeper Jordan Godsey (Ocean Springs, Miss./Ocean Springs) recorded his fifth shutout of the season, and the 31st of his Huskie career, and the Northern Illinois men’s soccer team played to a 0-0 draw against Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Soccer Complex. Godsey’s shutout extended his school record for career clean sheets.
“It’s another game where I felt like we did enough to win by three or four goals,” said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi.
“The guys battled, they played hard, played the better of the soccer, limited (Bowling Green’s) chances and we created a half-dozen (chances). I just told the guys that they need to manage their frustration so that they don’t heap extra pressure on themselves because we continue to do 90 percent of the work right, we just have to do the last 10 percent of finishing chances.
Godsey was called into action for the first time in the match in the 18th minute. Off a long free kick, Bowling Green’s Zach Lemke flicked a header toward the Huskie goal that was easily collected by the senior goalkeeper.
Godsey finished the match with four saves.
James Stevenson
Northern Illinois (3-8-3, 2-1-1 MAC) had its best chance of the first half through junior James Stevenson (Falkirk, Scotland/St. Mungo’s) in the 31st minute. Stevenson controlled a free kick at the back post and had an opportunity to open the scoring, but Bowling Green goalkeeper Michael Wiest did well to smother the chance.
The Huskies held an 8-5 lead in shot after 45 minutes.
Just five minutes after the intermission, sophomore Isaac Kannah (Plymouth, Minn./Prairie Seeds Academy) had an excellent chance, firing a low shot through bodies in front of the Bowling Green goal. His shot looked as if it would open the scoring, but it was cleared from the goal line at the last minute by a Falcon defender.
In the 84th minute, the Huskies again looked as though they would break the deadlock. Freshman Matt Pritchard (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) struck a low drive at the Bowling Green goal that was cleared off the line by the Falcon defense.
Kannah had another chance for the Huskies in the 88th minute as NIU went forward quickly off a Bowling Green turnover. Kannah’s shot from just inside the penalty area was held by Wiest and the contest finished 90 minutes scoreless.
NIU held a 16-10 advantage in shots through regulation time.
Pritchard had the only chance in the overtime that needed a save. His effort in the 106th minute was denied by Wiest as the match finished even.
Prior to the contest, Northern Illinois honored its five seniors: Godsey, defender Mike Mascitti (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South), forward Hooman Shams (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield), defender Pat Sloan (Lisle, Ill./Benet Academy) and defender Rocco Taglia (Caledonia, Ill./Boylan).
NIU will return to action Wednesday, Oct. 24, when the Huskies travel to Evanston, Ill., to face 24th-ranked Northwestern. Game time against the Wildcats is scheduled for 6 p.m.
For more information on NIU men’s soccer and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
