DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's soccer team will kickoff the 2026 campaign on Wednesday, Aug. 12, as the Huskies travel to Illinois State to take on the Redbirds. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be available on ESPN+. 

Following Wednesday's contest, NIU will play another in-state foe on the road when it travels to DePaul on Sunday, Aug. 16, before coming home to host Northern Iowa on Sunday, Aug. 23, in the home opener. 

"We are trying to approach our non-conference schedule and the six games that we have leading into our new conference to build our identity," said fifth-head NIU head coach Michael O'Neill. "Building our system on the field and our standards off the field. The previous month has allowed us to build strong relationship, build (the players) physically. The exhibition games have put minutes in the tank and so we feel like we are in a good spot with the additional time the NCAA has given us to be prepared for the non-conference slate." 

The 2026 Huskie women's soccer roster is highlighted by 17 returnees and 10 newcomers, which includes six freshmen and four transfers. NIU returns a trio of goalscorers from a season ago in Julianna Hill (Burlington, Iowa/West Burlington), Jordin Kadiri (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) and Lauren Mrugala (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North), with 10 of its 17 returnees having started at least one game in 2025. 

Among the newcomers to the Huskie roster, Taite DeLange (Thornton, Colo./Horizon) scored three goals during her time at Colorado State. 

"Five of our newcomers, the four transfers and one early enrollee, came in in January and the other five freshmen joined on July 15, our first day of preseason," said O'Neill. "So, we have some new faces, but also familiar faces and some core returners, which is a good thing. We have a young team, but there are players that are young by age but have experience, they have played minutes last year."

Like all programs at NIU this year, women's soccer is embarking upon its first season in a new conference as the Huskies begin play in the Horizon League. Milwaukee is the defending regular season and tournament champion in the Horizon League; the Panthers have won the league's conference tournament for eight consecutive seasons and the regular season crown in each of the past five years. 

Two of NIU's transfers join the Huskies with experience in the Horizon League as Peyton Cornejo (Normal, Ill./Normal West) comes to NIU from Green Bay while Genevieve Wilson (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) joins the Huskies from Milwaukee. 

Milwaukee is the favorite in the 2026 Under Armour Horizon League Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, released on Monday, the Huskies were picked to finish seventh.