DEKALB, Ill. – The fourth-seeded Northern Illinois University men's soccer team will host fifth-seeded Wright State at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 8) at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament.
Tickets for Sunday's game will be available at the gate for $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 17 and under, NIU students will be admitted free of charge with their OneCard. Sunday's contest will also be available on ESPN+.
NIU enters postseason play with an 8-6-2 overall record, 5-3-2 in the Horizon League. The Huskies are looking to rebound after falling in each of the last two games of the regular season. On Friday (Nov. 6),
Niko Angulo (Dallas, Texas/Allegiance Academy) and
Vance Sheffield (West Linn, Ore./La Salle Catholic College Prep) were named to the All-Horizon League First Team while
Luka Vasic (Toronto, Ontario/Maple) was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team.
Sheffield has five goals and one assist to tie for the team lead with 11 points. Four of Sheffield's five goals this season have been game winners, which is tied for seventh-most in the nation.
Roman Khela (Huddersfield, England) also has 11 points with two goals and seven assists. His seven assists are tied for 36th nationally and tied for seventh among defenders.
Cayden Crawford (Plain City, Ohio/Ohio Connections Academy) has played every minute in goal for the Huskies, Crawford has a 1.38 goals against average and a .728 save percentage.
Wright State comes to DeKalb with a 7-7-3 overall record, including a 5-3-2 conference mark. The Raiders ended the regular season with a 4-2 home victory over Oakland to secure a spot in the conference tournament. Cairo Duarte leads Wright State with 11 points (five goals, one assist) while Alex Normandeau has played 13 matches in goal, recording a 1.46 goals against average and a .708 save percentage.
NIU won the first meeting of the season, 2-1, in Dayton on Sept. 26.
Katai Mukuka (Lusaka, Zambia) and Sheffield scored in the contest for the Huskies.
The winner of Sunday's quarterfinal will advance to the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The best remaining seed of the two quarterfinal winners will travel to No. 2 seed Purdue Fort Wayne while the worst seed of the quarterfinal winners will visit No. 1 seed Milwaukee.
