CORVALLIS, Ore. – Playing its second game in 15 hours, the Northern Illinois men's soccer proved it has the depth and skill to compete under any circumstances, as the Huskies defeated Seattle, 3-0, at the Zaher/Hensor Memorial, Saturday.
"A lot of credit goes to Seattle," NIU coach Eric Luzzi said. "They had the same deal as us in terms of turnaround time, and they were missing three of their best players."
Midfielder Luis De La Cerda scored two goals, including the game-winner, to help the Huskies (5-3-1) win for the fourth time in five matches. De La Cerda now leads the Huskies with five goals and 11 points this season.
The Huskies took a lead in the first half as De La Cerda curved a ball in the net off a corner kick in the 37th minute.
"It doesn't happen very often, and it couldn't have happened at a better time," Luzzi said of De La Cerda's first score. "We weren't playing well and Seattle had us under pressure, and that goal took some of that pressure off."
Luzzi called the feat "rare," and was also impressed with De La Cerda's second goal, which came in the 79th minute.
"Luis made a good run to the top of the box, and we slipped it in behind their back line," Luzzi said. "He hit it off the inside of his foot for a good soccer goal."
Sophomore Francis Otira scored Northern Illinois' second goal in the 65th minute. Jor found a header off a ball that Brad Horton played into the box.
Northern Illinois has outscored its opponents 11-1 in its last four matches, with freshman goalkeeper Jordan Godsey holding 0.20 goals against average over that time. The Huskies' win over Seattle followed a 2-0 victory over Oregon State at the Beaver's annual tournament.
"When our guys play with energy we can be very good," Luzzi said of the team's recent hot streak. "In four of those five games, we've played with very good energy."
