DeKALB, Ill. - Anna Smalley scored a pair of goals and the Milwaukee women's soccer team posted its seventh consecutive shutout to open the 2017 season, handing Northern Illinois a 2-0 defeat Friday evening at the NIU Soccer Complex.
 
"Tonight was a great team effort," Milwaukee head coach Troy Fabiano said. "We were able to come into a difficult environment and execute on a number of things we emphasized in training all week."
 
The Panthers (6-0-1) netted a goal in each half to hand the Huskies (3-1-1) their first loss of the season, running their unbeaten streak to seven games and their scoreless streak to 650 minutes.
 
"We came out with good focus and our possession was sharp in the first half," Fabiano said. "Defensively we did a nice job of limiting chances."
 
Back-and-forth at the start, Milwaukee started applying the offensive pressure. Five shots followed in the first 24 minutes, a pair by Smalley.
 
Smalley, the reigning Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week, then came through for her team, handing the Panthers a 1-0 lead at the 40:01 mark after finishing a cross from Sydney Senn in the six-yard box.
 
It went to intermission with that scoreline, with the second half much more of a defensive battle both ways. Neither team recorded a shot of any kind until the 61^st minute, but the Panthers were the next to strike once again.
 
Smalley's second goal came on a header, sending in service from Taylor Tabbert at the 63:43 mark for an insurance marker.
 
The defense buckled down from there, not allowing a single NIU shot the final 28:45 of the contest to record the seventh consecutive clean sheet.
 
UWM ended the night with the slim 8-3 shot advantage (Smalley had 4 of the 8), with both teams earning a pair of corner kicks. Mallory Geurts needed to make just a single save to become the first goalkeeper in the nation with seven shutouts this season.
 
It's a return home Sunday for the squad, welcoming Southern Utah to Engelmann Stadium for a 12 p.m. start. It is also Military/Service Appreciation & Girl Scout Day, with $1 admission for military members w/ID, as well as $1 tickets for family attending with that individual. The same discount will apply to service members (Fire/Police/etc).
 
Girl Scouts in attendance can buy a $3 package that gets them a ticket to the game as well as a hot dog and a soda.