"Something we have talked about for the last couple of games has been our quality in the final third," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "We haven't been quite sharp enough, so it has been a focus in training. To get four today, and the quality of the goals as well as the chances we created, it was very pleasing. I'm happy with the overall performance."
NIU's (2-1-0) first attempt on target in the contest came in the 22nd minute as a shot from Anthony Markanich at a tight angle was kicked away by St. Thomas goalkeeper Niklas Martensson.
St. Thomas (0-4-0) nearly took the lead against the run of play two minutes later as Wes Lorrens flicked a long throw beyond NIU goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) toward goal but was cleared off the line by Malcolm Ward (Youngs, Australia/Newington College).
The Huskies broke the deadlock in the 35th minute as Zachariah Thomas (Burnaby, British Columbia/Moscrop Secondary) started the play with clipped ball into the penalty area to Nick Markanich who shrugged off a defender and played it into the path of Martinez-Bertrand to tuck underneath Martensson to open the scoring.
The goal was the first for Martinez-Bertrand as a Huskie and the fourth in his collegiate career.
It took NIU just five minutes to double the advantage through Anthony Markanich. Harry Jolley (Liverpool, England/St. Margaret Academy) hit a seemingly harmless ball into the box, but Anthony Markanich cut in between the St. Thomas center backs and caught Martensson halfway off his line, heading home into an open goal for his 13th career tally, giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the 40th minute.
Just before halftime the Huskies made it three. Nick Markanich played a one-two with Enrique Banuelos (Mexico City, Mexico/Virginia) at the top of the box, getting the ball back about 10 yards from goal before slipping it past an onrushing Martensson to put NIU in front 3-0 at the interval.
NIU added a fourth in the 67th minute as Nick Markanich got his brace. Banuelos played the ball to Nick Markanich who took a couple of touches to move inside the box before cutting around a defender and firing a shot into the side netting at the back post for his second of the game.
With his five points today (two goals, one assist) Nick Markanich moved into eighth all-time in NIU history with 55 points scored, moving past John Lechner (53 points, 1988-91) and Eric Clark (51 points, 1996-99). Nick Markanich has 25 goals and five assists in his collegiate career.
The Huskies continued to pile on the pressure in the final 20 minutes as Adrian Corona (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central), Banuelos and Diego Maynez (El Paso, Texas/Lone Star) all had chances saved late on.
Sanchez claimed his second clean sheet of the season, and fifth of his career, in the victory. Martensson made two saves, Tucker Mann made one stop and Christian Engel had a pair of saves for the Tommies.
NIU will return to action on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 7, when the Huskies travel to Charleston to meet Eastern Illinois. Kickoff against the Panthers is set for 3 p.m.
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Huskies Hit Four in Win Over Tommies - Northern Illinois University Athletics
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