DeKALB | A month has passed since the NIU women’s soccer team graced its home field.

NIU (2-7-2 overall, 1-3 MAC) will start the weekend at 4 p.m. Friday against Kent State (6-5-1, 3-1). The Huskies will finish the weekend at 11:30 a.m. Sunday as they take on Buffalo.

Kent State comes into DeKalb tied for second place in the MAC.

“Kent State is a good team and will be a tough opponent for us,” NIU assistant coach Paul Jobson said. “They are currently in second place, but we have been known to upset teams, and the MAC is so balanced that anything can happen.”

The Huskies hold the upper-hand against KSU in the all-time series at 5-3-1. The last time KSU visited DeKalb was in 2002, which resulted in a NIU win.

Golden Flashes midfielder Lisa Kurz has a MAC-high 36 shots on goal, while NIU’s forward Karen Enockson has as many.

On Sunday, NIU and Buffalo (4-7, 1-3) come into the game an identical MAC record. Both squads are in a five-team jam for the final tournament position.

However, Buffalo holds a 6-3 all-time series advantage over the Huskies.

“Buffalo is similar to us and tied for the last spot in the MAC tournament,” Jobson said. “Those types of games can go either way. It will be a battle for us.”

Jenn Novielli is a Sports Reporter for the Northern Star.