After the first full month of collegiate athletics, the Huskies have put fans through a range of emotions.
From historic performances to embarrassing shortcomings, these are the most exciting and dejecting incidents from the last month of NIU Athletics.
HIGH: FOOTBALL DEFEATS NOTRE DAME
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware of the Huskies’ win on Sept. 7. With a score of 16-14, NIU football upset then-No. 5 ranked University of Notre Dame – the first win over a top-10 team for any football team in the Mid-American Conference.
Putting them at 2-0 on the season, this historic win placed the Huskies in the final spot of the AP Top 25, reaching the list for the first time since 2013. NIU would move up to No. 23 the following week while on bye.
HIGH: KRAMMER MATCHES NIU ROUND SCORE RECORD
On Sept. 29 – the first day of the Badger Invitational – senior golfer Felix Krammer shot a 64, matching the NIU record for lowest score in a single round. The only other Huskie to shoot a 64 is Tommy Dunsire in 2022.
Krammer did not score a bogey in the round, and he recorded eight birdies.
Boosted by the record-tying performance, NIU men’s golf earned a first-place finish as Krammer tied for second in the tournament.
HIGH: VOLLEYBALL’S FRESHMEN PHENOMS
Amid a rocky season, a pair of first-year players – freshman outside hitter Ava Grevengoed and freshman setter Ella Strausberger – have made names for themselves.
Grevengoed recorded 127 kills and 19 service aces in September, leading the team in both categories. The Shorewood native also racked up 135 digs – second on the team.
Strausberger accumulated 181 assists and 61 digs – second and fourth on the team, respectively.
LOW: NIU FOOTBALL LOSES TO BUFFALO
The highest highs bring the lowest lows. Following one of the greatest wins in the history of NIU Athletics, the Huskies failed to overcome a MAC foe in the University at Buffalo Bulls Sept. 21 at Huskie Stadium.
Despite a dominant defensive performance with only 184 total yards allowed, the Huskies fell in overtime to the Bulls, removing them from the national rankings and sinking nearly any hope of an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Any lofty dreams remaining for the team were quickly silenced as NIU dropped its second-straight game with a 24-17 loss to North Carolina State University the following week.
LOW: MEN’S SOCCER
It seems safe to say that NIU men’s soccer will not make a repeat trip to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. After starting 1-2 in August, the Huskies went 1-6 in September.
NIU’s lone win in September came in a 1-0 match at home against Mercyhurst University – a first-year D-1 program.
The Huskies were outscored 20-7 during this stretch.
LOW: VOLLEYBALL LOSES 12 STRAIGHT SETS
While NIU volleyball has struggled all season long, the Huskies found a new low in the last four matches of September when they failed to win a single set.
NIU faced Northwestern University and the University of Toledo two times each, losing 3-0 in every match.
The Huskies put up their four lowest kill totals of the season during this stretch. Three of NIU’s four lowest hit percentages came in this span, including an abysmal .047 in the final match against Toledo.
LOW: WOMEN’S SOCCER FALTERS IN MAC PLAY
After beginning the season 6-1-1 in non-conference play, NIU women’s soccer finished September with a 0-2-2 record against MAC opponents.
The Huskies matched their goal total from last year (17) before MAC play began, but since then they have only found the net once. It has been over 300 minutes of game play since the Huskies last scored a goal against Miami University Sept. 19.
