MILWAUKEE – Emily Petring scored twice and
Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett had a goal and an assist to help the Milwaukee women's soccer team claim a 3-1 victory over Northern Illinois Saturday at Engelmann Stadium.
The Panthers (8-4-2, 6-0-0 Horizon League) trailed the Huskies (3-6-3, 2-3-1) just 75 seconds in the match but never panicked, finding a goal in the eighth minute to grab momentum and cruise from there, marking the team's 12
th consecutive victory over NIU in the all-time series.
"These games are hard," head coach
Kevin Boyd said. "Opponents come in looking to try and take one off us. Obviously, we have a giant target, and I think we're handling it very well. Go down 1-0, immediate response. Shortly after that, we get a second goal, 2-1. That's what you want from the team. Then to get a third one to start the second half, and then to close out the half without giving anything is really good."
Milwaukee remains perfect in league play this fall at 6-0 with the decision. In addition, the beat goes on for the longest active streak of its kind in the nation, as the program is now unbeaten in 45 consecutive (37-0-8) regular-season Horizon League matches, dating back to 2022.
The visitors took the air out of the game from the jump, scoring off a corner kick just one minute and 15 seconds into the day.
"I don't especially like giving up goals right away, so we would like to eliminate that, and that's a discussion we're having," Boyd said. "What I liked was the response right after it. I told them it's like someone flipped a switch and we were immediately a different team. And I want us to start games like that, not respond. So, great response, but we're hoping we can start games that way a little bit better."
That MKE response was immediate, getting a PK opportunity in the fourth minute. Skinner-Barrett was actually turned away on the effort but came back just minutes later with a beautiful header off a pass from
Denise Camarena to make it a new game at 1-1 at the 7:41 mark.
Petring, who picked up the secondary assist on the first goal, then finished off a breakaway chance to make it 2-1 in the 21
st minute, chipping the keeper who had come off her line. Petring was sprung free on a great ball over the top from
Ashlyn Derosier.
Lauren Nidey came through with a big stop in the 37
th minute, leaping high to keep the visitors out of the net and get her team to the 2-1 lead at the break.
Just after halftime,
Kiersten White started the third goal, winning a ball in back and sending a long lead pass to Petring. Petring and Skinner-Barrett then played give and go, with Petring netting her second of the day – and her eighth goal of the season – at the 46:26 mark.
"We knew if we got one to start the second half, that would take care of it," Boyd said. "And we got a really good combination between Emily to Ash, back to Emily, and a nice finish to put us up 3-1. And then we just kind of closed it out."
The rest of the day belonged to the defense, bearing down and closing out any threats. The offense nearly added a fourth goal in the 80
th minute, when a great save knocked
Abby O'Brien's shot just over the cross bar after
Maya Wilson found her open on the opposite wing.
"One thing I like about our team is we defend hard," Boyd said. "We make it difficult for opponents. It's not always pretty, but we do work and we make shots difficult. So, they got a bunch of shots, but they didn't get any shots that were dangerous or caused us problems. When they were in dangerous spots, we were blocking all their shots and getting them out. That type of effort was terrific."
For the day, NIU actually ended up with the 17-14 shot advantage, but the Panthers did own the shots-on-goal column, 9-6, as well as a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks. Skinner-Barrett (3 points on 1G/1A) led the way with five shots; Petring (5 on 2G/1A) had four and Camarena recorded a pair of assists on the day. Nidey recorded five saves in claiming the victory.
Up next, the Panthers remain at home for the next two games as well, hosting Youngstown State Oct. 15 and Robert Morris Oct. 18. Game time against the Penguins Thursday is set for 6 p.m. from Engelmann Stadium. YSU played Saturday night and drew with Wright State, 1-1, and remains the only other league team without a loss (4-0-2) in conference play.
