The last time the Wildcats took on a regional rival, it didn’t go so well: Northwestern was the victim of a 4-0 bludgeoning at DePaul on Sept. 28.
NU (5-4-3, 1-0-1 Big Ten) is hoping for better results this time around as it takes on Northern Illinois (8-3-0, 0-2-0 Mid-American Conference) at Lakeside Field. The Wednesday night matchup marks the fourth game out of their last five which the Cats have played outside of the Big Ten.
The Cats have turned a corner of sorts recently. Over its past six games, NU has gone 4-1-1, including a hard-fought draw against No. 12 Notre Dame and a victory over conference foe Ohio State.
Last season, NU also entered its matchup with Northern Illinois on a positive streak, having just defeated Ohio State. The Cats’ momentum was silenced by the Huskies, however, as they fell 2-0 at home despite out-shooting their opponents 15-9. Northern Illinois scored both of its goals on set pieces, one in each half.
The Huskies once again bring a highly impressive defense to the field. They are second in the Mid-American Conference in goals against average, surrendering just 0.65 goals per game.
The Cats have gone 5-2-1 against the Huskies under coach Tim Lenahan.
