Nine home game highlight the 2022 Northern Illinois University women’s soccer slate as first-year Huskie head coach Michael O’Neill unveiled the 18-match schedule for the upcoming campaign.

Following road exhibition matches against Iowa (Aug. 7) and Wisconsin (Aug. 12), the Huskies will officially open the 2022 season on the road at Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, Aug. 18. NIU will then visit Indiana State on Sunday, Aug. 21, the Huskies topped the Sycamores, 2-1, in overtime last season.

The 2022 home opener will take place on Friday, Aug. 26, as NIU welcomes Lindenwood to DeKalb, two days later the Huskies will host Southern Indiana (Aug. 28) at the NIU Soccer Complex. The Lions and Eagles are both entering their first season in Division I, having both accepted invitations to the Ohio Valley Conference.

Three consecutive in-state matchup will close the non-conference schedule for the Huskies, beginning with a trip to Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Sept. 4. NIU will host Western Illinois on Friday, Sept. 9, before traveling to Chicago State on Sunday, Sept. 18, for the final pre-conference matchup of the campaign.

League play begins at home for NIU as the Huskies welcome Western Michigan to DeKalb on Thursday, Sept. 22. Following trips to Toledo (Sept. 25) and Ball State (Sept. 29), NIU will return home for a matchup against Central Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 2.

The Huskies will travel to Ohio on Thursday, Oct. 6, before hosting Akron on Sunday, Oct. 9, on Homecoming Weekend in DeKalb. That match will be a doubleheader with the NIU men’s soccer team also playing at home on Homecoming Sunday.

Following a trip to Buffalo (Oct. 13), the Huskies will play three of their final four regular season games at home, beginning on Sunday, Oct. 16, against Kent State. Eastern Michigan visits DeKalb on Thursday, Oct. 20 and NIU will play its final regular season road match at Miami on Sunday, Oct. 23. Defending conference champion Bowling Green travels to NIU on Thursday, Oct. 27, the final day of the league season. The Huskies topped the Falcons, 2-1, in Ohio last year.

The Mid-American Conference Tournament will begin on Sunday, Oct. 30, with the quarterfinals. The semifinals and final will be held the following week.