Women's Soccer | October 28

DEKALB, Ill. -  The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team hit the road on Saturday to travel to Kent, Ohio as they prepare to take on the Kent State Golden Flashes in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Quarterfinals on Sunday, October 29 at 12 p.m. CT.
 
Head coach Michael O'Neill believes the team is excited for the opportunity to play in the postseason. 
 
"It's been an exciting season; we've done a lot of good things," O'Neill said. "This is what we have been playing for since day one, to get into the postseason. So, to have that opportunity to play tomorrow, it's a huge deal for us and the program. I think I speak for everyone when I say, we're really excited for this opportunity."
 
This will be the first time since 2017 that the NIU women's soccer program has qualified for the MAC Tournament, only six of the 12 schools currently qualify for the tournament.
 
The Huskies faced off against the Golden Flashes recently, as NIU went to Kent and picked up a 2-1 win on Sunday, October 15. The game-winning goal in that contest came from Tyra King (Naperville, Ill. / Matea Valley) with the Huskies' first goal coming from a Kent State own goal. 
 
NIU finished the regular season in fifth place in the MAC with 19 points as Kent State picked up 21 points and fourth place.
 
"We just played this team a couple of weeks ago, so we know a lot about them and they know a lot about us," O'Neill said. "I don't think either team will change in terms of their approach and setup. We're just trying to put on the best performance we possibly can, and stay true to our identity that got us here in the first place. I believe in that process, and it's gotten us to a point right now where we've done some good things and want to keep doing those in the postseason."
 
The winner of the match will earn a spot in the MAC Semifinals and get an opportunity to face the number one seed Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich.
 
The quarterfinal will go to two ten-minute extra time periods if there is no winner inside the 90-minute window. If no team has earned the win through 110 minutes, the match will head to penalty kicks.
 
"Preparation wise we're not changing how we do anything to prepare for this match, whether it be for regular season or post season," said O'Neill. "The overtime feature is unique to this format but that's more of the staff managing that when needed. The players are focused on taking care of business and getting the win in 90 minutes."
 
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Sadie McGill (Fort Worth, Texas / L.D. Bell) has picked up eight clean sheets in 2023, which is the tied for the third most in Huskie history. The Huskies have allowed just 16 goals in 18 matches, which is the second least in the history of the program, only trailing the 15 by the 2007 team.
 
NIU closed out the regular season with an 8-7-3 record and a 6-4-1 mark in MAC play. The Huskies won six of their final eight matches in conference play.
 
- NIU -