Women's Soccer | August 18

THE NEED TO KNOWS
Friday - NIU vs UIC, 7 p.m.
Sunday - NIU at Milwaukee, 2 p.m.

DeKALB - After a two-match exhibition slate in which NIU battled Drake and Iowa State, the Huskies will officially begin their 24th season of competition when it hosts UIC on Friday night. Northern Illinois University will follow up against Milwaukee on Sunday at Engelmann Stadium in Milwaukee on ESPN3.

In both of their preseason matches versus Drake and Iowa, the Huskies rallied back to tie their foes with emphasis.

In its first exhibition game of the preseason at Drake, weather delayed the start of NIU's match by 45 minutes. However, a goal in the seventh minute by the Bulldogs was matched by a Taylor Sarver equalizer four minutes later.

With an assist from goalkeeper Amy Annala, Sarver blew past the Drake defense on a breakaway chance and slotted the ball to the far post and past the DU keeper to tie the match, 1-1.

On Monday afternoon at the NIU Soccer Complex, NIU found itself down as the Cyclones scored in the 20th minute and entered the halftime locker room with a 1-0 lead.

The same grit that the Huskies displayed in the first exhibition match reared its head after the second half's opening kickoff as freshman Abby Gregg received a cross from Sarver in the goalkeeper's box and tied the match, 1-1, just 48 seconds into the period.

Head Coach John Ross has lauded the Huskies for their style of play this preseason.

"It's an attitude but it's also a mentality. Some of our players have made that determination that they want to go and put their body on the line. If they have a 10-percent chance of winning the ball, they're going to take advantage of that 10-percent and try to win it," said Ross.

He also believes the team's spirit is a carry over from the end of last season, where the Huskies went unbeaten in their last four matches.

"(In our last four games, we had) a little more attention to detail, a little more fight and a little more focus on defending first," said Ross. "We felt that we were very strong on the attack, but we also left ourselves exposed so we tightened ourselves up defensively and made it more of a fight. I think that's who we really are as a team."

UIC posted a 5-12-2 record in only its second season of competition as an NCAA program. The Flames went 0-1-1 in their preseason matches against Eastern Illinois (L, 2-1) and Indiana State (T, 0-0). Reigning Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year Kelly Fritz returns to the lineup this season, as does the Flames' leading goalscorer Olivia Everin (4 goals, 1 assist).

Milwaukee closed 2015 with an 11-3-4 record, including a flawless 8-0-1 record in Horizon League play, but fell to Wright State in a penalty shootout, 4-3. The Panthers defeated Loyola in their first exhibition, 3-1, and tied with Illinois State last Saturday, 1-1. Leading goal scorer Anna Smalley returns to the lineup in 2016, a year after adding eight goals and two assists.

Following the opening weekend of play, NIU will return to action next Sunday with a home match against Western Illinois. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Central.