It’s not over until the NIU women’s soccer team says it’s over.

With just three games remaining, the Huskies’ (4-10-2, 0-6-2 MAC) post-season dreams are hanging by a thread. To have any chance of making the MAC tournament, they must win their final three matches, a tall task considering NIU has lost six straight games.

NIU head coach Carrie Barker contends her team has been playing well.

“The players all know where we stand and what we have to do,” Barker said. “We absolutely have to finish our opportunities.”

Maybe Barker is on to something. Seven of the Huskies’ 10 losses this season have been decided by just one goal.

Even if NIU wins out, they will still require help from the teams above them in the standings.

“It’s kind of a now-or-never attitude,” goalie Meaghan Bennett said. “Right now we are going to focus on what we can control.”

Taking control of their own fate begins this afternoon as the Huskies travel to Ball State.

The Cardinals (4-11-0, 2-6-0) face a similar situation as NIU – on the outside looking in and losers of five straight.

Unlike NIU, Ball State’s defense has been shredded all season. The Cardinals have been outscored 40-17 and are giving up 2.67 goals per game. It is possibly the perfect cure for a Huskies offense that has scored just two goals during its current losing streak.

“We have to find a way to finish our chances,” senior forward Lisa Maier said. “These could be my last three games, and I’m going to do anything to keep it going.

On Sunday, the Huskies will find themselves fighting for their postseason lives in Miami (Ohio).

The RedHawks (8-6-1, 4-3-1) are virtually assured a tournament, but will be playing hard to improve their seeding.

“Every game in the MAC is physical,” Barker said. “And with teams scrambling to make the postseason, this weekend is going to be extremely physical.”

That physicality is exemplified in a RedHawks’ defense that has allowed only 11 goals this season.

At this point though, Barker’s motto rings truer than ever.

“We have to take one game at a time,” Barker said.

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.