Hockey will take to the air as the team heads to Florida, while men’s rugby will get a chance to play in a big time atmosphere.

Hockey

The Div. II hockey team will travel to Fort Myers, Fla., this weekend for a two-game series versus Florida Gulf Coast University.

The Huskies (5-3) will play their games at 8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Germain Arena.

“It will be a fun trip,” said head coach Chuck Rinaldo. “It’s something we typically don’t do. It’s a nice treat for us to hop on a plan and fly down to Florida and play a team like Florida Gulf Coast, [which] is a very talented team and won the national championship at this level.”

While Rinaldo acknowledges it will be a fun trip, team captain Nick Remley said the team is there to win two games.

“We are going to have to get focused and not act like it’s a vacation out there,” Remley said.

Instead of driving out to their matches the Huskies will fly to Florida Gulf Coast on game day. Rinaldo does not believe the flight will be an issue for the team.

“We are traveling Friday morning,” Rinaldo said. “So we’re traveling on a game day, which will be difficult, but the one thing we have going for us is we typically travel on a Friday sitting on a bus. Guys are used to being crammed in a bus seat, so sitting in an airplane seat won’t be that much different.”

The Huskies will need to make the most of their chances when they arise against the Florida Gulf Coast team.

“Any time we have had losses or close games it’s because we didn’t capitalize on our offensive opportunities,” Rinaldo said. “Being on the road against a tough team like Florida Gulf Coast, every good scoring chance we have has to turn into a goal. If we don’t score, we need to at least be putting them on their heels with our pressure.”

Men’s rugby

The men’s rugby team is still in the playoff race and is in for a big test this weekend against an undefeated Bowling Green State University team.

NIU (2-2) will play in a marquee event with Bowling Green. The game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.

“They are promoting the game throughout the school,” said team captain Osama Shayeb. “It’s in the football stadium. They are expecting a good crowd. They asked specifically for us to be this game because we gave them the best game they had in the last year.”

While the game is big because of the venue it will be played in, it also has playoff implications.

“Bowling Green have been the champs since the MAC has started,” said rugby president Pat Caulfield. “They are expecting a tight game; we’re expecting a tough game, as well. This weekend is going to be a big deciding factor on where our team moves from here on out.”

Shayeb is hoping to continue the team’s winning streak and come away with its third-straight victory.

“They are at the top of the league right now,” Shayeb said. “They have won all their games. We are really looking to put up a big performance and hopefully take it from them at their home.”