“We’re going to go after them,” promised NIU soccer coach Willy Roy, whose team will play its home opener tonight against DePaul University at the Huskie soccer field.

“I think DePaul is the type of team to sit back defensively, but we have to be patient,” said Roy, who will lead his team against the Blue Demons at 5 p.m. “I think they are going to be improved from last year, but we must set the tempo from the beginning.”

The Huskies enter tonight’s action with a 2-0 record and a 3-0-1 record against DePaul, which includes last year’s 0-0 overtime draw. DePaul has started the season 1-0-1 with a 4-1 victory over Detroit and a 1-1 tie against Dayton. Last year the Blue Demons finished 3-17-2.

“We have to organize ourselves, and concentrate on finishing our scoring opportunities. In our first two wins, we were creating plenty of opportunities but were not finishing them. We also had a mental lapse against Drake by giving up a goal. We must eliminate these mistakes,” said the third-year coach.

“Overall, I think we need to improve on our communication out on the field between the players so I can relax on the bench,” said Roy.

Roy admits NIU must be on its toes against DePaul. If NIU plays its type of game, Roy expects the Huskies to do fine. However, he is somewhat leary because of last year, when NIU expected to win but had to settle for a tie.

“Their strong trademark is that they are team orientated. Everybody works for everyone else. I think they are going to be hesitant to mix it up with us,” said Roy.

NIU is led in scoring by Willy Roy Jr., who has three goals and one assist. Goalie Markus Roy has 13 saves through two games.

Tim Green leads DePaul with two goals, and goalie Rich Horwath has posted 17 saves in two games. Goaltending has been DePaul’s strong area this season and the offense is off to a solid start.