DEKALB, Ill. -- The NIU men's soccer team is the lone Huskie team on campus this week as it hosts Drake on Tuesday (Oct. 16) and Akron on Saturday (Oct. 20). A number of other teams are in action on the road, including key conference games for the volleyball and women's soccer teams. Both men's and women's tennis teams are in action at the ITA Regionals while cross country and men's golf will also compete this week. 

Men's Soccer
Tuesday, October 16: vs. Drake, 7 p.m. -- Live Stats | Live Video | Free Admission
Saturday, October 20: vs. Akron, 7 p.m. -- Live Stats | Live Video | Free Admission

The Huskie men's soccer team has a pair of home games this week as they welcome Drake to DeKalb on Tuesday night before hosting perennial MAC power Akron on Saturday. A full preview of Tuesday's game is available on NIUHuskies.com.

Volleyball
Friday, October 19: at Kent State, 5 p.m. – Live Stats | ESPN+
Saturday, October 20: at Ohio, 5 p.m. – Live Stats | ESPN+

The NIU Volleyball team begins a five-match road trip this weekend with matches at Kent State and Ohio. The Huskies split home matches against Akron and Buffalo last weekend, sweeping the Zips 3-0 on Oct. 12 before falling in five sets to Buffalo on Oct. 13. Last Saturday, senior Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) became the 23rd Huskie volleyball player to reach 1,000 career kills. NIU enters the weekend at 5-3 in the MAC, two games back of first-place Ball State in the west. A full preview will be available on NIUHuskies.com.

Women's Soccer
Thursday, October 18: at Ohio, 2 p.m. -- Live Stats 
Sunday, October 21: at Kent State, 12 p.m. -- Live Stats | Live Video

Fresh off its first conference win of the season, the NIU women's soccer team begins a three-game road trip to close the regular season this week as the Huskies travel to Ohio on Thursday and Kent State on Sunday. 

Last time out against Central Michigan (Oct. 14), junior Abby Gregg (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield East) and sophomore Amanda Czerniak (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charlest North) netted first half goals as the Huskies went on to a 2-1 Senior Day victory over the Chippewas. Senior MacKenzie Lee (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) made seven saves in goal for NIU.

Ohio comes into the weekend with a 6-6-3 overall record, including a 4-2-2 mark in conference play, the Bobcats had their six-match unbeaten streak snapped last time out against Bowling Green (Oct. 14). Kent State enters play this weekend with an 8-6-2 mark overall, and a 4-3-1 record in league play.

Cross Country
Friday, October 19: at Illini Open, 4 p.m. 

In the final meet before next week's MAC Championship, the NIU cross country team will send a small group of runners to compete in the Illini Open on Friday afternoon. The women's five-kilometer race through the UI Arboretum is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Last time out at the Bradley Pink Classic, sophomore Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) led the way for NIU with a 15th-place individual finish as NIU took 10th overall in the 30-team field.  

Men's Golf 
October 22-23: at Pinetree Intercollegiate – Live Scoring

NIU Men's Golf wraps up its fall season Oct. 22-23 at the Pinetree Intercollegiate, hosted by Kennesaw State at Pinetree Country Club. The Huskies recently wrapped up the Chatham Hills Collegiate in ninth place on Monday. Senior Paul Schlimm (Shorewood, Ill./St. Francis [Ill.]) recorded his best 54-hole score as a Huskie, finishing the tournament tied for 20th with a three-round score of even par 216. Salvador Rocha (Mexico City, Mexico/American School Foundation) tied for 25th at two-over par with a 54-hole score of 218.

Last season, NIU finished fifth at the Pinetree Intercollegiate. Thomas DeMarco (LaSalle, Ontario/Morehead State) tied for eighth, his second top-10 that fall, with a score of one-over par 145.

Men's Tennis
October 17-21: at ITA Regional -- Live Scoring

Competing for the first time in over a month, the NIU men's tennis team returns to action this week at the ITA Midwest Regional, hosted by the University of Notre Dame. The tournament begins with Pre-qualifying Singles on Wednesday, October 17 and continues through the finals on Monday, October 22, matches will take place at both Notre Dame's Eck Tennis Pavilion and the Lakeland Athletic Club in Niles, Mich. 

The Huskies are joined in the 20-team field at the ITA Midwest Regional by conference rivals Toledo and Western Michigan, as well as a number of national powerhouses including Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan and host Notre Dame, all of whom finished last season ranked in the top-25. 

In the first tournament of the season, the River Forest Collegiate Invitational, freshman David Pata (Bucharest, Romania) won the singles title in flight three while senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./University of Denver) claimed second in flight two.