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…