Intensity is not the only thing that will be high this weekend.

The NIU women’s soccer team starts a two-game road trip Friday against the Air Force Academy and then on Sunday against Colorado College. Both games will be played in Colorado Springs, Colo., at an altitude about 10,000 feet above sea level.

“It’s going to be rough for us to play at such a high altitude because we are not used to it,” NIU coach Frank Horvat said.

NIU may have the advantage over the Air Force despite the Falcons winning one more game than the Huskies in 2002. The Falcons are returning three of their top five scorers and have been in boot camp since August, which means they probably will be slightly fatigued, Horvat said.

The Huskies are returning all 11 starters from last year’s squad, including eight seniors. In preparation for its opening game, NIU has focused on adjusting its plays, Horvat said

“It should be our best performance of the weekend because we’ll be so rested,” Horvat said.

When NIU faces Colorado College, it will be a tougher game for the Huskies. The Tigers ended last year 8-7-0, and they start the season Friday against Fairfield with new coach Erik Oman. Colorado is returning nine of its starters from last year, but are missing its top two scorers who had more than half the team’s goals.

In order to be successful this weekend, Horvat will look especially to his upperclassmen, he said.

“I feel good about where we are at,” Horvat said. “I feel good about the effort, and we just need the senior class to set the tone.”