Gymnastics looks to build off its fourth-place finish in the 2014 MAC Championships as it heads into the 2015 season.

NIU will host the Black/Red Intra Squad meet 6 p.m. Saturday at Victor E. Court. Head coach Sam Morreale has high expectations although the team lost four seniors from last year’s 11-11 squad.

“I expect to win, and I expect to challenge for the MAC Championship,” Morreale said.

The intra squad meet will be set up like a regular meet with the team splitting into red and black squads that will compete against each other. Judges will be brought in to score the gymnast’s performance, providing the Huskies with their first taste of competition in order to correct their weaknesses before the season starts.

NIU added five freshmen to the squad this year, and Morreale hopes they can make contributions immediately on the mat. Saturday’s intra squad meet is important for the freshmen to get a feel of what a gymnastics competition at the collegiate level feels like, Morreale said.

“The great thing about my sport is that when we bring freshmen in, we bring them in because they’re going to make the team better, and I expect them to compete,” Morreale said.

The 22-gymnast team this year is led by seven seniors who Morreale said will contribute significantly.

“The whole group has worked really hard to position themselves to help us win this year,” Morreale said. “They’ve all improved on the events that they work, so I feel really good about that. Leadership-wise, they’re going on their fourth year so the experience level we have is amazing.”

After the intra squad meet the Huskies will face off against the Illinois-Chicago Flames 7 p.m. Jan. 9 in Chicago.