DeKALB, Ill. - Second-half goals by freshmen Lourdes Onwuemeka and Kelli Swenson turned a halftime deficit for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's soccer team into a 2-1 victory over Northern Illinois University on a hot Sunday afternoon at the NIU Soccer Complex.
 
"In the first half we came out flat," Milwaukee head coach Troy Fabiano said. "We challenged the team at halftime and they responded. We are proud of how they finished the game, especially in very hot conditions on the road."
 
Tied, 1-1, and getting late, Swenson headed in the winner off a free kick at the 79:46 mark and the defense did the rest. The Panthers (2-2-0) held the Huskies (1-4-0) without a shot the rest of the contest to claim the victory and extend their win streak in the all-time series to six in a row.
 
"As the season progresses, we need to be able to put forth a high level of play more consistently," Fabiano said. "Again, I will stress that I was proud of the way we finished, but we need to play that way from the first whistle to the last."
 
It was a tale of two halves for Milwaukee, turning around a 1-0 deficit at the break with a dominant 45-minute stretch. The Panthers recorded eight of the 10 shots attempts after intermission and had all five of the corner kicks.
 
Junior goalkeeper Paige Lincicum came through as well, making all three of her saves in the first half to keep the deficit to a single tally. NIU scored early, making it 1-0 in the 17th minute.
 
It stayed that way until the 53rd minute. Senior Kelsey Holbert, who missed the majority of last season with an injury, made her 2015 debut today with a start and 55 minutes of action.
 
She provided a big spark, recording a team-high three shots, including two on goal. One of her attempts was only partially saved in the 53rd minute, coming right to Onwuemeka, who tapped in from five yards for the first goal of her collegiate career at the 52:41 mark to make it a new game at 1-1.
 
For the game, UWM ended with advantages of 14-6 in shots (6-4 on target) and 5-3 in corners, while both teams were whistled for five fouls.
 
The Panthers continue to tackle regional opponents. Up next, the team welcomes Wisconsin to Engelmann Stadium, set for a 6 p.m. game Friday.