The NIU women’s soccer team flew to New York for its game last Friday against the University of Buffalo, making it the first NIU team to fly since the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Huskies had reservations to fly to Ohio for games against opponents Akron and Kent State two weekends ago, so they voted to go by bus instead.

Since they had to be back home for a Sunday game, they had no choice but to fly to Buffalo. Because no further terrorist actions have happened in the United States since Sept. 11, the team wasn’t as concerned as before.

The team also noticed changes at the airport since its last flight to Florida Sept. 6.

“On the way back the National Guard was in both airports,” senior Sarah Dickinson said. “On the way there, they weren’t there. You have to go through tighter security now. You have to show your ID more.”

Coach Frank Horvat said the airport was more strict about luggage, but that’s something that doesn’t bother him.

“I just hope they take it further and make it safer,” Horvat said. “That’s the bottom line: make it more relaxing for everybody. I don’t think it’s going to be a bad thing for Americans to see our military and our police officers there ready to protect us.

“I was never nervous, not even after we had to get off the plane we were on to get on another one because it wasn’t ready to fly.”

“Once I got there, I felt a lot better,” senior Jane Mucci said.

Because the initial flight went well, the team now has less reservations about flying.

“We need to get back to living the way we’ve been living and not being afraid to live that way,” Horvat said. “If we are afraid to live that way, then there needs to be changes. If we get too caught up in this, they’re going to achieve their goal of making us afraid, and we don’t need to be afraid.”

Due to budget limitations, the team will travel by bus for its three remaining road games in Kalamazoo, Mich.; Oxford, Ohio and Muncie, Ind.