Eight Northern Illinois University athletic teams hit the field, court, mat or golf course this week. Read up on all the action and follow along via live stats, live video, live audio or by attending!
Football
Wednesday, Nov. 2: vs. Central Michigan, 6 p.m. – ESPNU | Live Stats | Live Audio
NIU Football is back at Huskie Stadium Wednesday night to face Central Michigan at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. The Huskies are looking to get back in the win column after a close 24-17 loss at Ohio on Oct. 22. Sophomore running back Antario Brown rushed for a career-high 160 yards against the Bobcats. The NIU defense held Ohio’s passing attack to 200 yards and racked up five tackles for loss. The Huskies had 546 yards of total offense in last season’s meeting at Central Michigan, rallying from a 17-point third quarter deficit to win 39-38. A full preview is available on NIUHuskies.com.
Volleyball
Friday, Nov. 4: vs. Central Michigan, 6 p.m. – ESPN3 | Live Stats
Saturday, Nov. 5: vs. Central Michigan – ESPN3 | Live Stats
The Huskies play their final home matches of the season this Friday and Saturday as NIU hosts Central Michigan at Victor E. Court. The Huskies look to amend a pair of road losses this past weekend to Kent State and Ohio. Katie Jablonski paced NIU’s attack, she totaled 20 kills (3.33/set) through the two matches and added 21 points (3.5/set). Francesca Bertucci anchored the backcourt logging 23 digs, a match-high, versus Kent State before adding a team-high 17 digs the following night against Ohio. Both matches against CMU this weekend will broadcast live on ESPN3.
Men’s Basketball
Monday, Nov. 7: vs. Illinois Springfield, 7 p.m. – ESPN3 | Live Audio | Live Stats
Friday, Nov. 11: at Northwestern, 7 p.m. – BTN+
The 2022-23 Huskie men’s basketball season will officially tipoff when NIU hosts Illinois Springfield in the regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 7. The matchup with the Prairie Stars is the first of three games in the State of Illinois to open the season. NIU will take to the road for the first time on Friday, Nov. 11, when the Huskies travel to Evanston to face Northwestern, in the first matchup between the two schools since 2010. A full preview of both contests will be available on NIUHuskies.com.
Men’s Golf
Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 31-Nov. 2: at Saint Mary’s Invitational – Live Scoring
The NIU Men’s Golf team wraps up its fall slate at the Saint Mary’s Invitational, today through Wednesday at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif. Graduate Student Tommy Dunsire set a program-record 18-hole scoring record in NIU’s last event with an eight-under par 64 at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational. He set a career-low 54-hole score with a six-under par 210. The Huskies had their lowest team round at Quail Valley with a second round seven-under 281.
Wrestling
Saturday, Nov. 5: at Michigan State Open, 9:30 a.m. – Trak Wrestling | Live Video
After wrapping up the preseason at the annual Red-Black Dual last Friday night, NIU returns to the mat in its first true road test of the season, the Michigan State Open. The Huskies’ Red team won Friday’s dual by a margin of 18-10. Nathaniel Genobana of the Black team opened the action with a win over Bryce West at 133, but the Red squad quickly took control as six of its athletes recorded wins over the Black team through the event. Following the MSU Open, NIU hosts the Huskie Duals Nov. 12 at Victor E. Court.
Women’s Basketball
Monday, Nov. 7: at Notre Dame, 6 p.m. – Live Audio
The NIU women’s basketball team opens its 2022-23 season at Notre Dame on Monday, Nov. 7. The Huskies were picked fifth in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll with a pair of preseason All-MAC selections in forward A’Jah Davis and guard Chelby Koker. NIU earned an 88-61 win over Loras in exhibition action at the NIU Convocation Center last Saturday. The Huskies made 15 three-pointers and shot over 50 percent from long distance. Janae Poisson made four threes and scored a game-high 17 points. The Huskies will see a familiar face on the Notre Dame bench in NIU Hall of Famer Carol Owens, who is the associate head coach of the Fighting Irish. A full preview will be available on NIUHuskies.com later in the week.
Men’s Soccer
Sunday, Nov. 6: at Bowling Green, 5 p.m. – ESPN3 | Live Stats
The NIU men’s soccer team will close the season on Sunday, Nov. 6, when the Huskies travel to Bowling Green. NIU takes a 5-7-4 overall record, 2-4-1 in the MAC, on the road for the final game of the 2022 campaign after suffering a 2-1 setback last time out against conference-leading Akron. Luis Hernandez opened the scoring against the Zips before two goals in the final 20 minutes helped the visitors to the win. Bowling Green comes into the week with a 5-4-5 record, 3-1-2 in the MAC, and two points behind Western Michigan for second in the conference.
Men’s Tennis
Friday-Sunday, Nov. 4-6: at MAC Indoor Invite (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
NIU men’s tennis will close the fall portion of its schedule this weekend as it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., to compete in the MAC Indoor Invite. The Huskies are coming off an extremely successful outing at the ITA Midwest Regional in which NIU had five players reach the singles main draw. Two doubles teams, Mikael Vollbach and Cheng En Tsai as well as Armin Koschtojan and Oliver Valentinsson advanced to the Round of 16. Last season at the MAC Indoor Invite, Vollbach and Koschtojan paired to win the flight two doubles crown.