Women's Soccer | October 30, 2019

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's soccer team heads to Northern Illinois to take on the Huskies to wrap up the 2019 regular season on Thursday at 3 p.m.

LAST WEEK
The Broncos split a pair of 1-0 decisions at the WMU Soccer Complex. WMU opened the week's action with a 1-0 win over Toledo on Thursday but followed it up with a 1-0 loss to Mid-American Conference leaders Bowling Green on Sunday. Sophomore forward Morgan Otteson scored the game-winner in the victory over Toledo for her 10th goal of the season. The shutout was also junior goalkeeper Maggie Rogers' fifth of the season.

WIN AND GO HOME
Western Michigan (7-9-1, 5-4-1 MAC) is in a four-way tie for third place with Ohio, Buffalo and Akron, all with 5-4-1 records in Mid-American Conference play and 16 points. WMU needs to finish in the top four in order to host in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Sunday. With the Broncos holding tie-breakers over Akron and Ohio thanks wins earlier in the season, all they need is a win over NIU to guarantee a finish of no lower than fourth place. With a win the WMU can also finish as high as third place.

If the Broncos lose they can finish as low as seventh, but are guaranteed a spot in the MAC Tournament.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Northern Illinois (2-13-2, 0-9-1 MAC) sits in last place in the conference standing, with the team's lone point coming in a 1-1 tie against Miami. The Huskies dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision last Sunday against Toledo. Thursday's game will be the team's third straight home game, where they are 0-6-2 this season.

NIU averages 0.65 goals per game this season Trudy Quidzinski leads the team in goals scored with four and points with nine, but has missed the majority of the season due to injury and has played in just three games. Julia Neary is the only other player with more than one goal on the season, scoring twice.

Julia Lentz and Megan Donnally have each played in nine games this season. Donnally has a 1-7-1 record with a 1.72 goals against average and 72 total saves. She has played nearly 100 more minute between the sticks, but Lentz does have the team's lone shutout this season. NIU has given up on average 2.47 goals per game this season and has given up three or more goals seven times.

STAY TUNED
Make sure to check WMUBroncos.com on Thursday evening to see where the Broncos will be playing in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Sunday.