It’s going to be a battle of top-25 MAC rivals this Saturday as No. 23 NIU gets set to take on No. 6 Akron at the new soccer/track complex in DeKalb.

As the teams kick off at 1 p.m., both will look to take a stand in their conference. The offensively dominant Huskies (6-1-2 overall, 1-0 MAC) will head into their second conference match-up against the MAC’s leading defense in Akron.

“What a game it’s going to be,” said NIU head coach Steve Simmons. “The thing that I like about the game is that you have two Top 25 teams going at it. I think it’s one of those deals where it’s an opportunity for both teams to play great soccer and compete hard.”

The Zips (6-1-2, 1-0) have made a stand in the conference with their defense. Senior Evan Bush has only allowed three goals in nine games, making his team the least scored on team in the MAC.

Bush holds the lead position among goalies in the conference in save percentage and goals against average. The keeper also owns the No. 2 spot in posted shutouts with six, finding himself with one less than the MAC leader.

Though the Zips prove to be a threat defensively, the Huskies will rely on their strong offensive ability to give them the win. NIU leads the MAC in shots taken with 177 in only nine games. The team is averaging 19.67 shots per game, almost seven shots more than the second place Buffalo team.

“We’ve done particularly well to generate shots of our own, so we’ll see how it plays out,” Simmons said. “The conference games always take another notch of confidence. To score against Akron, we will have to be at our best.”

The Huskies place second in the MAC in goals scored, with 18 on the season so far. NIU trails behind Buffalo, a team that has 20 goals in three more games.

With NIU’s offensive nature, freshman Brad Horton has found himself ranked among the MAC’s leading shooters. Horton has taken 19 shots to put him in the 5th ranked spot. The freshman leads his team in shots taken and in goals, with four.

However, Akron seems to have an offensive powerhouse similar to Horton. The Zip’s Steve Zakuani averages four shots per game and has sent 36 balls toward opposing goalies.

“He’s a tremendous player, I have tons of respect for him as a player,” Simmons said. “He deserves that attention he will garner from us, but as we focus on Steve, we have to make sure we pay attention to the other handful of really skilled players on the field.”

Zakuani ranks first in the MAC in shots taken and in points earned. With his No. 1 conference ranking in goals scored, with 7, and 4 assists, the sophomore has tallied 18 points to his name.

“The affairs between the two teams have been so exciting, with so much on the line,” Simmons said. ” It’s really the epitome of college sports in my mind. Akron is where they deserve to be [No.6], and that’s what’s going to make the game so fun to compete in.”