DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team is set for a pair of games this weekend, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 9, when the Huskies travel to Green Bay to meet the Phoenix. Kickoff in Green Bay is scheduled for 5 p.m. NIU then returns home on Sunday, Sept. 12, as the Huskies welcome Illinois State to the NIU Soccer Complex for a 2 p.m. kickoff. 

This weekend is Superhero Weekend at NIU Soccer, fans are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero for the chance to win a prize. 

"We want to continue to build off of the areas where we are having success," said NIU head coach Julie Colhoff. "Fine tuning the details that we want to continue to work on. Getting a shutout in our last game was big, so one goal is to follow that up with a second one, and then to keep putting the ball in the back of the net."

NIU heads into Thursday's contest at Green Bay on the heels of a 1-0 victory at Valparaiso last Friday (Sept. 3), to improve to 3-2 overall this season. Haley Hoppe (Austin, Texas/Rouse) scored in the 86th minute, off a feed from Abby Zipse (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), to break the deadlock with the Beacons. The goal was Hoppe's fifth of the season, which leads the Mid-American Conference and is tied for 10th nationally. 

Huskie goalkeeper Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas/L.D. Bell) made a season-high eight saves against Valparaiso, earning her first shutout of the season as well as MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, awarded earlier on Wednesday (Sept. 8). 

"Obviously we want to be a scoring threat, but if we keep our opponents at zero, we always have a chance to win," said Colhoff. "It was great to have Sadie get that recognition from the conference, it is a testament to her, and the rest of the team, in assisting with that effort."

Green Bay enters the week with a 2-0-1 overall record after defeating Chicago State, 2-1 in overtime, last time out (Sept. 5). Five different players have scored goals this season for the Phoenix while McKayla Kertscher leads Green Bay with four points (one goal, two assists). Annie Mason and Hannah Wheeler has split time in goal for the Phoenix, Mason has played two of their three games with a 0.53 goals against average and a .833 save percentage. 

Illinois State comes into the weekend with a 1-5 overall record, the Redbirds will visit Northwestern on Thursday (Sept. 9) before traveling to DeKalb. Illinois State has played one MAC opponent so far this season, topping Eastern Michigan, 4-0, in the season opener on Aug. 19. Riley O'Brien has scored a team-high three goals to lead the Redbirds, Priya Gillan has played every minute in goal for Illinois State, posting a 2.33 goals against average and a .689 save percentage.