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.”

The 10th annual Alumnae SoccerFest kicked off at noon Saturday at Huskie Soccer Field.

The NIU women’s soccer team defeated the alumni 3-1 and the men’s team topped its elder counterparts 5-1.

Jill Heikkila and Angeline Impelido scored the only first-half goals for either team as the current Huskies led 2-0 at the break.

Freshman Megan Kolkay scored her first goal in a Huskie uniform. Kolkay’s shot into the back-left corner of the net extended the Huskies lead to three.

The alumna ended any thoughts of a shutout when Anna Marinaccio squeaked in a rebound for the score after Allison Wade’s shot was blocked.

The female alumna received no help from the officials, being called for four fouls to NIU’s six. The male alumni, on the other hand, were called for two penalties to NIU’s 19.

Sarah "Willy" Wilkins, who played at NIU from 1995 through ‘98, came back to play because she never lost her passion for the game.

"It’s always good to get out here and see if the team chemistry is still there," Wilkins said.

While the women headed back to the locker room, Steve Simmons jogged onto the Huskie Soccer Field for the first time as the head coach for the NIU men’s soccer team.

"He is extremely intense, has a winning attitude and him being here will make for a great season in my last year," senior Matt Stukenberg said.

The elder and heavier alumni were forced to play two heat-scorching 35-minute halves. The more aggressive style of offense instilled by Simmons, as opposed to the passive offense taught by recent NIU men’s soccer coach Willy Roy, took its toll on the alumni.

Vrahram Kadkhodaian recorded a hat trick with his first goal coming five minutes into the game. Kadkhodaian weaved to his left through three alumni defenders and scored back to the right side of the net on alumni goalkeeper Steve Brody.

Freshman Justin McGrane scored the next pair of goals, putting the Huskies ahead 3-0.

The alumni got on the board with the second penalty kick of the game attempted by Mike Gentile, but it proved to be their lone goal.

Kadkhodaian’s final two goals closed out the scoring and the play of Mike Corvo, Simmons’ lone freshman recruit of the seven that came in, caught the eye of onlookers.

"He’s working hard and is looking good so far," Stukenberg said. "He’ll be a good addition to the team."