DEKALB – The NIU women's soccer team (1-0-1) will play their first game in a week Sunday as they travel to Madison, Wis. to face Wisconsin (2-1). The Huskies won their first game of the season at Western Illinois 1-0 and are coming off of a scoreless draw against New Mexico State.
The Badgers are 2-1 with their wins coming against Kentucky and Creighton in shutout victories with their loss coming against No. 2 ranked Stanford. Wisconsin has scored three goals from three different players in their two wins with their goalkeeper, Caitlyn Clem making five saves this season but gave up five goals in their loss to Stanford.
Early returns on senior goalkeeper
Amy Annala (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) have been great so far as she has stopped all eight shots she's faced in 181 minutes played. Annala is aided by the defensive unit with
Delaney Loprieno (Algonquin, Ill./Huntley) and
Jennie Nailor (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) holding strong in the middle playing every minute of the first two games.
Offensively the Huskies have only scored one goal in two games but are outshooting their opponents 33 to 21 after their 24 shot effort in the draw against New Mexico State.
Kyleigh Dominguez (Geneva, Ill./Cincinnati) leads NIU in shots taken with ten so far with Loprieno scoring the lone goal for the Huskies in their win at Western Illinois.
NIU expects to have junior
Taylor Sarver (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) back in the lineup after she missed the first two games due to injury. Sarver was the Huskies' leading goal scorer in 2016 with seven and her finishing ability was missed early for NIU.
The return of Sarver will add to the NIU depth in their attack with Dominguez and
Natalie Yass (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West) getting a bulk of the minutes at forward so far. The Huskies have also gotten quality minutes from
Lauren Gierman (Prospect Heights, Ill./John Hersey),
Allie Ingham (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove),
Amanda Czerniak (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North),
Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse),
Abby Gregg (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield East), and
Sammy O'Brien (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora).
The Huskies and Badgers will kickoff at 1:00 p.m. CT at the McClimon Track/Soccer Complex on Wisconsin's campus. NIU women's soccer will play again on Wednesday at UIC at 7:00 p.m. CT.
