They are wounded, but are playing their best ball of the year.

For Sunday afternoon’s match at the Huskie Soccer Field the women’s soccer team may have to do without three starters.

Starter Beth Pomles was one of the casualties of NIU’s rough game against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee last Sunday.

She suffered a contusion to the knee and is one of three starters who are questionable for this weekend.

Both Christy Foster and Jen Berg may also sit out Sunday’s match.

“We’ve had basically a good week to rest up from our last game, which was a pretty physical game,” said head coach Frank Horvat.

Berg would be a big loss for the team. In last Sunday’s match against Wisconsin-Milwaukee she scored both of the Huskie’s goals and also contributed defensively.

There is also good news in the injury list for the Huskies.

Starter Amy Derry is expected to play again after her return to the Huskie’s lineup last weekend.

Derry returned for the dedication of the Huskie Soccer Field. She played aggressively as the Huskies defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but it was evident that she still needed to favor her ankle, which resulted in a slight tentativeness in her style of play. Hopefully this weekend she will be back to full strength.

“I’m hoping we can have everybody back,” said Horvat.

This seems unlikely because of Berg’s back problems, Pomles knee injury, and the fact that Foster is still plagued by a nagging injury.

NIU seems to have an advantage over Green Bay because they do not have to travel and get to play on their own field, but the Phoenix can not be taken lightly.

“They are a much better ball club than people are giving them credit for,” Horvat said. “They’re having a great year, so they’ve got a lot of confidence, they’re all in sink and are playing well.”

The Huskies should match up well with Green Bay because the Phoenix play a 4-3-3, which is similar to what NIU plays.

NIU needs to play their game this Sunday afternoon to keep the Phoenix from handing the Huskies their ninth loss of the season.

“It’s going to be a matter of playing our game and not theirs,” Horvat said.

If the Huskies continue to play the way they have the past couple of weeks they could come away with the win against Green Bay this weekend.

The key for the Huskies has been the confidence they have shown and the hard work that they have put in throughout the entire season.

“I think things are just coming together with a lot of hard work by everybody,” Horvat said. “I think people are playing with more confidence.”