Women's Soccer | August 14

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team opens the 2024 regular season at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, when it travels to Chicago to take on the DePaul Blue Demons.
 
NIU will look to build on a 2023 season in which the Huskies earned the most wins and qualified for the Mid-American Conference tournament for the first time since 2017. NIU closed out the season with a record of 8-8-3 which is the first .500 season for the Huskies since 2010.
 
"We're really excited to get the season started on Thursday; the team's been working hard since the return from summer break," head coach Michael O'Neill said. "We feel like we are ready for the competition now and it'll be a tough one with DePaul at their place. It will be a great test as we get the ball rolling on the 2024 campaign."
 
The Huskies return a majority of their scoring from 2023 including Tyra King, Lea Gruennagel and Isabel Struble who all scored multiple times in 2023. NIU returns both of their All-MAC Second Team members from a season ago in Gruennagel and Aubrey Robertson.
 
NIU brings in 10 new players including four at the goalie position. Amy Stineman and Ary Purifoy are transferring from Gonzaga and Oklahoma State, respectively, while Lauren Pearson and Abi Dolding enter as freshman. In 2023, Sadie McGill closed her college career with eight clean sheets, which was the most for an NIU goalkeeper since 2008 and the third most in program history.
 
Earlier this week, the Huskies were picked by the MAC coaches to finish seventh in the conference. Last season, NIU finished fifth to earn a MAC Tournament spot.
 
"I don't take much notice with the preseason polls; nobody knows what each team is going through," O'Neill said. "They're largely based off of last year. Our objective is clear, we want to be there in the postseason and competing for championships. Our focus is solely on us and we're sure that's true for the other teams as well."
 
DePaul finished 2023 with a record of 6-7-4 overall and has been picked to finish 11^th in the Big East preseason poll.
 
After taking on DePaul, the Huskies will face off against St. Thomas (Minn.) in the team's home opener at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22.
 
-- NIU --