NIU women’s soccer returns home for a pair of match-ups with MAC foes from the Buckeye state.

The Huskies (5-4-3 overall, 1-2-1 MAC) square off with Ohio at 1 p.m. Friday and face Akron at 1 p.m. Sunday. NIU is 4-1-1 at the NIU Soccer/Track Complex in 2008 and looks to continue that trend this weekend.

Ohio (2-7-2, 1-2-1) is led by Amy Lower. The junior has three goals on the season. On the defensive side, goalkeeper Jess Maclean has 25 saves on the year.

Britni Back leads the charge for Akron (7-4, 2-2) as the junior is second in the MAC with seven goals on the year.

Goalkeeper Jenn Wolbert has 60 saves on the year, good for second in the league.

While both teams boast talented players, NIU head coach Carrie Barker refuses to let her team get caught up in the numbers.

“Every opponent we’ve played so far in the MAC has been strong and they’re good teams,” Barker said. According to Barker, the Huskies’ success all boils down to how the team performs under pressure.

“There are 90 minutes in a game and we’re going to have some highs and lows,” Barker said. “We need to stay focused.”

Along with staying focused, heart and team chemistry are also key to the Huskies’ success in 2008. Junior Micaela Damas feels those two elements are the teams strongest aspects.

“Our heart is amazing and this team is just incredible,” Damas said. “We get along off the field and that just helps immensely on the field.”