DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team travels to Akron on Thursday, Oct. 14, to meet the Zips before returning home on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 17, for a 1 p.m. kickoff against Buffalo. Sunday's contest against the Bulls is Senior Day as NIU will honor the six seniors on the women's soccer team.
Due to an event in the NIU Convocation Center, fans attending Sunday's soccer game are asked to park in lot PS, directly north of the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
NIU makes its final trip to the State of Ohio on Thursday when it meets Akron, the Huskies are traveling to Northeast Ohio for the second consecutive Thursday after visiting Kent State last week.
Julia Lentz (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) made her first appearance in goal during league play against the Golden Flashes, making four saves. She made a season-high six stops three days later when the Huskies hosted Ohio.
Lentz and
Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas/North Texas) have combined to help the Huskies average 6.21 save per game, second-most in the Mid-American Conference.
Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) is ranked third in the league in points with 14 and third in the league in goals with six.
Akron brings a 3-11 mark into Thursday's match, with a 1-5 record in the conference. The Zips are coming off their first league win over Eastern Michigan, 2-0, last time out. Katie Stafford has scored four goals to lead the Zips, Stafford also has a team-best nine points. Penelope Cuirinier has made 13 starts in goal for Akron and has a 2.00 goals against average, along with a .717 save percentage.
Buffalo comes into the weekend with a 9-3-1 overall record, including a 3-2-1 mark in league play. Marcy Barberic leads the Bulls offensively with seven goals, tied for second-most in the conference, and 16 total points while Emily Kelly has started all 13 matches in goal for Buffalo and has a 1.08 goals against average and a .767 save percentage. The Bulls host Western Michigan on Thursday before closing the week with a trip to NIU.
Following this weekend's action, NIU will close the home portion of its schedule on Thursday, Oct. 21, when the Huskies host Miami. Kickoff against the RedHawks is scheduled for 5 p.m.
