DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team opens the 2021 regular season on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 26, when it hosts Purdue Fort Wayne at 2 p.m. at the NIU Soccer Complex. The matchup is the first half of a doubleheader with the NIU women's soccer team facing Chicago State at 5 p.m. 

Thursday is also National Dog Day and to celebrate NIU Athletics invites fans to bring their dog to the soccer doubleheader, all dogs in attendance will get a treat. NIU's own Huskie, Mission, will also be in attendance. Admission is free of charge. 

NIU opens the regular season after a pair of exhibition matches as the Huskies played Missouri State and Purdue Northwest in the preseason. Miguel Maynez Jr. (El Paso, Texas/New Mexico) scored against the Bears while Halley Jolley (Liverpool, England/St. Margaret Academy) netted twice against the Pride, with Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais), Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) and Kevin Galiano (Lynden, Wash./Meridian) also added goals against Purdue Northwest.

"I'm happy with where we are at," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "We have gotten a couple of tough preseason games in, and we got to see some of the things we are good at as well as some of the things we need to improve upon. I think we have addressed them in training, the guys have been bought in to everything we have asked of them, and I am excited to see it come together as we have a tough test against Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday."

The Huskies return a veteran roster for the 2021 campaign with just three players lost to graduation from a season ago and six freshmen on the roster this season. 

"It is nice to have so many guys back again," said Swan. "It helps us start on the front-foot, but at the same time we also have to recognize that every other team in the country is, for the most part, in the same situation. I hope it makes for the quality of soccer to be better this year, from everyone, and certainly for us we are confident and happy with the group we have coming back."

After opening each of the last three seasons away from home, Swan is excited to begin the year with a home game. 

"It's massive" Swan said of playing at home. "Walking through campus today it was great to see so many people back. It is a little tougher driving through because of the traffic but that is a good thing. With so many people back, there is a good energy around campus, and we are hoping that people that don't have class at 2 o'clock on Thursday come out and make some noise at the game."

Purdue Fort Wayne will also be playing its season opener on Thursday when it visits DeKalb. The Mastodons fell to Michigan State, 1-0, in their lone exhibition contest. Last season, Purdue Fort Wayne posted a 3-6 overall record while playing a Horizon League only schedule

Following Thursday's opener, NIU will travel to Notre Dame on Monday, Aug. 30, for the first meeting between the Huskies and Fighting Irish since 2007. NIU is unbeaten in four previous meetings against Notre Dame, holding a 2-0-2 record. The Fighting Irish went 8-9 overall a season ago and will begin their 2021 campaign on Friday night, Aug. 27, when they host Indiana.