It may be the last match for the NIU soccer team or it may not be, but the Huskies need a win to stay alive in the NCAA Tournament hunt.

The Huskies take on the 2-10-3 Northwestern squad Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Buffalo Grove Schwaben Center. Despite what the NW record says about them, NIU head coach Willy Roy is wary of the physical style of the Wildcats. “It doesn’t matter what kind of a season they’re having, whenever NIU and Northwestern get together it’s going to be a struggle. They always play a physical game, but they play within the rules,” Roy said. “I’ve been saying since the beginning I’d be happy with a record close to last year’s (14-4-2), a win makes us 13-5-2 so…”

NIU is now ranked fifth in the Midwest region with a 12-5-2 record. Their chances of an NCAA bid is slim, but with some help the Huskies’ season might not end Saturday.

“I don’t want my career here to end,” senior defender Tony Adolfs said. “I think we still have a shot at a bid. Last year we were third in the region and didn’t get a bid, so I’m not banking on anything.”

The Huskies need for No. 3 Tulsa and No. 4 Illinois State to lose their next matches to enhance their chances, but before that happens, NIU needs a win over the ‘Cats. “We’ll be well rested, and we still have a slim chance of getting a bid—depending on how Illinois State does. I think we’re definitely three or four goals better than they are, but we have to be ready to go,” Huskies defender Tim Scarnato said.