DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University women's soccer head coach Michael O'Neill announced the addition of six student-athletes to the Huskie program for the 2026 season. Alexandra Devory (Ruckersville, Va./William Monroe), Brianna Gutierrez (Addison, Ill./Addison Trail), Abbey Kijewski (Nobleton, Ontario/Brill Crothers Secondary), Rowan Moore (Granger, Ind./Penn), Madison Sheppard (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) and Lola Zarate (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) signed to join the Huskies next season.
"We are thrilled with the addition of so many high-quality players," said O'Neill. "My staff have worked tirelessly to get some of the best local, regional, and international talent here to NIU and we are excited to see them impact this program as we continue to build a highly competitive Horizon League program."
A goalkeeper from Ruckersville, Va., Devory earned Second Team All-Region 3B honors and was a First Team All-Valley District selection last season at William Monroe High School. Devory plays club soccer with Skyline Elite SC in the Girls Academy League.
"Alex is a talented goalkeeper and will bring great competition to that unit," said O'Neill. "Her size and athleticism will allow her to impact many of the key phases we experience at D1 Women's Soccer."
Gutierrez is a defender from Addison, Ill., who plays club soccer with Eclipse Select in ECNL. She also earned All-West Suburban Conference Gold Division honors playing for Addison Trail High School
"Bri is a left footed defender that can play centrally and out wide," said O'Neill. "Bri's technical quality combined with her composure and game intelligence will allow her to make an instant impact at the college level."
Kijewski is the lone international player among the six signees, hailing from Nobleton, Ontario, Canada. A midfielder, Kijewski plays club soccer with Woodbridge SC and is ranked in the top-100 in the First Touch Football Canada Girls 2026 rankings.
"Abbey is a very dynamic and creative midfielder that can play in a multitude of positions," said O'Neill. "Abbey is both a technical and creative player and we are delighted to have her join the program."
A defender, Moore plays with Midwest United FC in the Girls Academy League. She was also a two-year starter at Penn High School, where she earned honorable mention all-league honors and helped her team to a third-place state finish.
"Rowan is a dynamic and tough tackling central defender that will add great depth to our defensive unit," said O'Neill. "Her size and strength will be a huge asset for us, and we can't wait for her to get started."
Sheppard is a midfielder and plays club soccer with Indy Premier in the ECNL. She also played two years at Roger Bacon High School, scoring 10 goals in just seven games in 2023.
"Maddy is a very technical and intelligent central midfielder that will be a great addition to our program," said O'Neill. "Maddy has competed and excelled at the highest youth soccer level, and we are excited to see the impact she makes here at NIU."
Zarate, a defender from Oak Park, Ill., plays club soccer with FC United in the Girls Academy League. She also plays high school soccer at Oak Park River Forest, helping her team reach the sectional finals in 2025.
"Lola is a left footed outside back that will give great balance to our defensive unit," said O'Neill. "Lola is tenacious defensively but also has the ability and endurance to help her teams in attack."
The NIU women's soccer program, along with 13 other Huskie Athletic programs, will move to the Horizon League beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
