Oct. 16, 2008

DeKALB - After a one-game hiatus from conference play, the Northern Illinois men's soccer team returns to Mid-American Conference action, Saturday, in game one of a Huskie Athletics triple-header.

NIU kicks-off a trio of Huskie home athletics events with a match against Hartwick at the NIU Soccer/Track and Field Complex at noon. Fans preparing for the Huskies' Homecoming football game against Toledo are invited to check out the new facility, and cheer on the men's soccer team as a prelude to the 3 p.m. gridiron start at Huskie Stadium. To cap the night, the Huskie volleyball team hosts Toledo on Victor E. Court at the Convocation Center, starting at 7 p.m.

"It should be pretty electric, as far the atmosphere," head coach Steve Simmons said.

On the pitch, the Huskies (6-2-4, 1-1-1 MAC) are coming off a pair of hard-fought road ties. First, NIU travelled to Buffalo, where the Huskies held on to a 1-0 lead until a penalty kick gave the Bulls the tie. NIU had to battle back from a 2-0 deficit, Tuesday, to earn a tie against Milwaukee and retain the John LeWang Cup.

After starting the season with back-to-back losses, the Hawks (4-3-5, 1-0-1 MAC) have been defeated only once in their last 10 contests, a 2-1 decision at Dartmouth. Hartwick's offense ranks fourth in the MAC with 39 goals, despite taking just 120 shots, the fewest in the conference. Senior John Paul Boyle leads the Hawks with four goals, tied for third-most in the MAC.

"Hartwick is a very very good team, with some signature wins," Simmons said.

The Huskie offense ranks third in the conference in goals (19) and points (52), and the defense is third in goals allowed with a 1.09 goals against average. Freshman Brad Horton leads the MAC with three game-winning goals, while senior goalkeeper Joe Zimka has tallied five shutouts.

"It's obvious that there is so much on the line as far as points and the MAC standings," Simmons said. "They know it and we know it, and we're looking forward to playing at home on a tremendous Saturday."

Fans heading to the men's soccer match should contact Kylie Stannard at (815) 753-6873 for information on parking.