It’s been almost 20 days since the NIU women’s soccer team’s last win, a 1-0 victory at DePaul Sept. 4.

The Huskies since have been forced to settle for a tie and two losses, but coach Marci Miller’s motto will remain the same going into the first weekend of conference play.

NIU opens MAC play this weekend with games against Bowling Green on Friday at 4 p.m. and Toledo on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will take place at Huskie Soccer Field.

“I told the team, ‘you are not always going to win,’” Miller said. “The only thing you can control is how hard you try and the effort you give.”

NIU enters with a 2-3-2 record, and is a team built on the sure-handed goalkeeping of Carrie Dvorak. The senior keeper has allowed only eight goals, but NIU has scored only seven, allowing little room for defensive miscues.

Miller continues to stress organization on the soccer field to her players. All season long, they’ve been fine-tuning the basic components of heading and finishing.

“We are working on our shape, our rotation of players and who moves where in different situations,” Miller said.

While the defense anchors the team’s foundation, the team continues to work on its offensive attack. Sophomore Karen Enockson is the top offensive weapon for NIU.

Enockson leads the squad with four points and two goals, and has fired a team-high nine shots on goal. Jenna Clausen is second on the team in scoring with three points.