DEKALB, Ill. – After opening the regular season with four consecutive road games, the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team will return home this weekend to host the NIU adidas Invitational. The Huskies will take on Binghamton on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., and will also host 12th-ranked Utah Valley on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1:30 p.m.

Friday's match will be NIFC Night, as members of the Northern Illinois Football Club will join the team on the field during introductions, NIU students in the bleachers behind each goal will receive thunderstix and have the chance to enter a raffle for a NIU soccer scarf. Sunday is International Day and NIU Soccer Camp Reunion Day.

"It's massive," said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi about returning home. "We train on this surface every day, our guys like playing at home. There is a routine that we can be in that doesn't involve hotels and all the things that go into being on the road. I think our guys are very excited to play at home and I would expect that to be reflected in their performances this weekend."

The Huskies open their home slate after finishing their four-game road trip with a 1-1 draw at UMBC last Sunday (Sept. 4). Sophomore Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) scored his first goal of the season, third in his career, from the penalty spot for NIU while junior goalkeeper Drew Donnally (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) made four saves against the Retrievers.

Binghamton brings a 2-0-2 record to DeKalb after recording a 2-0 win over Manhattan on Monday (Sept. 5). Miles Burbank has scored a pair of goals to lead the way for the Bearcats while Alejandro Cubillo has played all four matches in goal, posting a 0.68 goals against average with 11 saves. Last season, the Bearcats recorded a 10-8-2 mark and advanced to the America East Tournament Final, where they fell to Vermont, 1-0.

"Binghamton is a very good team. They are undefeated with a couple of wins and a couple of draws, they have scored a good number of goals and haven't conceded many. I know their coach a little bit from some coaching education things and I know he is a very good coach, they will be very organized. Their collective on the ball is pretty good, they are able to keep the ball, move it, combine and create chances so we are definitely going to have to be sharp on both sides of the ball."

Utah Valley comes into the weekend ranked 12th in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division I poll. The Wolverines are a perfect 3-0 as they come to DeKalb, returning to the State of Illinois for the second consecutive week after posting wins over Evansville, 4-2, and Bradley, 1-0, last week in Peoria. Paul Hoffmeister leads Utah Valley with four goals while Elliott Rubio has played all three matches in goal, making six saves with a 1.00 goals against average. The Wolverines posted a 14-6-2 mark last season, winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

The fourth team competing in the NIU adidas Invitational is Loyola-Chicago. The Ramblers will meet Utah Valley on Friday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m., and will face Binghamton on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 11 a.m.