DEKALB, Ill. – The No. 16 Northern Illinois University men's soccer team hosts 19th-ranked Akron on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 30) in its final home game of the regular season. Kickoff against the Zips is scheduled for 2 p.m.
"These are the games you want to play in," said NIU head coach
Ryan Swan. "Only four of the seven teams make the conference tournament, and it is nice that we locked that up but now we have a chance to win the title outright, in front of our home fans, which is a fantastic opportunity. We have a lot of respect for Akron, they nationally ranked and we know that it will be a tough game, but our guys are excited and ready for it."
NIU comes into Saturday's contest on a 12-match unbeaten streak with an 11-1-2 overall record after topping Georgia State, 2-1, in overtime last time out (Oct. 23). The Huskies currently sit atop the Mid-American Conference standings with 11 points courtesy of a 3-0-2 league mark and would clinch the conference regular season title with a victory on Saturday. Akron, Bowling Green and West Virginia are all currently tied with seven points, all three of those teams have two conference matches remaining.
The Huskies moved up five places in this week's United Soccer Coaches National Poll and are in the top-25 for the third consecutive week. NIU's No. 16 ranking in the second highest for the program since the poll began in 1996, the Huskies were ranked 13th on Sept. 13, 2011.
As a team, NIU is averaging 2.57 goals per game, the seventh-best scoring offense in the country, the Huskies are also third nationally in team goals against average, allowing just 0.45 goals per game.
Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) is currently tied for second nationally with 13 goals and is tied for third in the country with 30 points. Markanich is one of four Huskies with double-digit points this season as his twin brother
Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) has 15 points (five goals, five assists),
Enrique Banuelos (Mexico City, Mexico/Virginia) has 13 points (three goals, seven assists) and
Pepe Martinez (Sant antoni de vilamajor, Spain/Western Michigan) has tallied 12 points (five goals, two assists).
Huskie goalkeeper
Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) is tied for third in the nation with eight shutouts and ranks fourth with a .838 save percentage.
Akron brings a 9-3-3 overall record into Saturday's matchup, including a 2-1-1 mark in league play. The Zips are unbeaten in their last four, including a 5-1 victory over Bowling Green last Friday (Oct. 22) and a 4-0 win over Cleveland State on Tuesday (Oct. 26). Diogo Pacheco and Ryan Kingsford each have five goals to lead the Akron attack, Will Meyer has played all 15 matches in goal for the Zips and has a 0.77 goals against average with a .760 save percentage.
NIU is 4-0-1 in its last five matches against ranked opponents, including a 2-0-1 mark this season. That five-match stretch also includes a pair of victories against Akron last season.
"Against West Virginia and Bowling Green, the energy and the noise coming from the stands, you could feel it and it certainly makes a difference," said Swan. "In every game it can be the difference between winning and losing, so when the margins are so tight against a good team, that truly could be the thing that pushes us over the edge. Hopefully we get a great turnout, and they will be able to celebrate with a conference championship."
Following Saturday's game, NIU will close the regular season with a trip to Portland on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Kickoff against the Pilots is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
