Ohio (5-1-3) hit the road for the beginning of a two-game Mid-American Conference road trip, stopping in DeKalb, Illinois for a match against Northern Illinois (6-1-3). Ohio has won four of the previous five games versus Northern Illinois since 2018, most recently a 3-1 victory at Northern Illinois in 2023.
At the match's beginning, Ohio and Northern Illinois emphasized tough defensive play and limited shot opportunities. Two offside calls for Ohio in the third and fifth minutes slowed down quick offensive opportunities. Through the first 19 minutes of play, no shots were managed by either team’s offense.
In the 20th minute, Ohio forward Aubrey Rea was awarded the first Ohio penalty kick of the season after a hard foul inside the Northern Illinois box, but the following shot sailed wide of the goal and the score remained tied at 0-0.
The first half came to a close with Ohio and Northern Illinois deadlocked at 0-0. Ohio managed two shots and one shot on goal through the first 45 minutes.
As the second half got underway, the physical defensive undertones from both Ohio and Northern Illinois remained the same. Ohio managed to put pressure on the Northern Illinois defense with a shot from forward Jaimason Brooker in the 50th minute and a corner kick in the 51st, but neither opportunity struck gold.
A yellow card was issued to Ohio defender Quintin Tostevin in the 61st minute, and an additional yellow card was given to the Ohio sideline in the 64th minute.
The rest of the second half witnessed two additional shots on goal from Ohio midfielder Iro Fakinou and forward Aubrey Rea, but both shots were blocked by the Northern Illinois keeper, keeping the score tied at 0-0 late.
Neither side would be able to find the back of the goal today, and the match concluded with a 0-0 draw.
Ohio keeper Celeste Sloma recorded seven saves in 90 minutes of play, earning her a fifth shutout on the season.
Ohio begins MAC play 0-0-2. The Bobcats will take on Bowling Green Thursday, September 26th at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
@ben._.wilk
