DeKalb | Both club hockey teams will have a chance to get back in the win column this weekend, but this time one of them will have a home ice advantage.

This weekend the Div. II team will have its home opener against the University of Missouri.

“This is a much anticipated weekend for us. We are very excited to play in front of our fans. We are very excited to kick off the season at Fox Valley Ice Arena,” head coach Chuck Rinaldo said. “We’re looking for fan support and hoping to get two wins for them this weekend.”

While NIU (1-1) only came away with one victory last weekend it will look to build consistency this weekend versus Mizzou (0-2).

“One thing that we keep talking about is staying consistent with our hard work and our discipline,” Rinaldo said. “This week in practice it is just about keeping consistency in mind, staying in our systems, not straying from what we are trying to accomplish and keeping that hardworking mentality.”

Senior forward Nick Leon, who was a bright spot for NIU last weekend, said the Huskies must play to their strengths.

“We need to have defensive consistency, discipline-wise consistency, hard work-wise consistency,” Leon said. “In general, being the team we can be 60 minutes instead of 50 minutes.”

Something different this week is the type of game that will be played. Prior games have been run-and-gun type contests; that will change against Missouri.

“Missouri will be a change of pace for us. They are a slower, more physical team. It will be a change of pace for us to break down their systems and penetrate their defensive lines,” Rinaldo said. “It’s going to take a lot of discipline on our end, not just trying to run around the ice…. We will have to stick in our systems. They will most likely be low-scoring games, so it should be good.”

The Div. III team will be on the road again, playing at Marquette University. These games will be the first in conference play for NIU (0-2). The Huskies will also look for their first win of the season against another tough opponent.

“Marquette is another strong team, one of the best we will play all season,” said head coach John Lyne. “These are our first league games of the season. These are the ones that count most.”

For NIU to come away with a victory this weekend, the team will have to carry over the confidence it gained from its second game last weekend.

“Coming out with some confidence knowing that we can score … knowing that we can play against them from the start and burying some goals will really help us,” Lyne said.

Team captain JC Weems believes the team can bring home a victory against the tough Marquette squad.

“We are going to have to play full games,” Weems said. “We can’t take time off against good teams; you have to play a full game. Marquette, like Missouri State, is a good team. If we play a full 60 minutes like we can and everyone shows up ready to play, I think we will be able to shock Marquette at their own house.”