For NIU women’s soccer coach Marci Miller, Friday’s regular-season finale at 2 p.m. at Huskie Soccer Field isn’t just the end of this season, it is the beginning of the next.

“Usually after soccer seasons most teams take a break and wind down,” Miller said. “We are starting next week with 6 a.m. conditioning. I want this program to learn what it takes. The commitment, heart and desire that it takes to win. You don’t learn to be a winner in two months, you have to go through a whole offseason.”

In her first season, Miller sees a light at the end of the tunnel despite a 5-10-2 overall record and 3-7-0 mark in the MAC.

“We are starting to understand what it takes to win,” Miller said. “[The players] train hard and want to win, and they’ve become a good team in terms of jelling together and caring about one another.”

Western Michigan offers a formidable opponent for Senior Day. The Broncos owned first place in the MAC until they suffered a pair of defeats this weekend and need a win to keep their outside shot at a league title alive.

The duo of Stephanie Johnson and Thalia Playford lead WMU in scoring with 12 points, and goalkeeper Kate Perz allows 1.10 goals per game.

Karen Enockson, Elaine Eliadis, and Jenna Clausen hope to spark the NIU offense after back-to-back shutout losses on the road. Carrie Dvorak has faced 91 shots and allowed 1.31 gpg. It will be the senior keeper’s last game in an NIU uniform.

The stretch run has been brutal for NIU, as WMU will mark the fifth consecutive game versus an opponent going to the MAC tournament. Miller would like to send the seniors out with a win, and a win would be a nice way to head into a busy offseason.

“The seniors are a great group,” Miller said. “They’ve given a lot to the program. I feel bad they can’t be in the MAC tournament. In the off season, everything we are allowed to do within the NCAA rules for training time, we are going to do.”