MADISON, Wis. – The men's soccer team takes on NIU this Wednesday in their first non-conference game since beating Marquette 4-2 on September 12.
 
Here are five things to know
 
1. LOOKING BACK: Wisconsin is 16-12-0 all-time against the Huskies. The last time these two sides met for a regular-season game was over 10 years ago on Oct. 6, 2010. On that date the Badgers fell 2-1 to NIU in OT. The men's team is currently on a two game losing streak against Northern Illinois after losing in 2009 and 2010, though the teams played to exhibition ties in 2014 and 2015.
 
2. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For Wisconsin, defender and captain Matt Chandler has been a force to be reckoned with on defense. Very few have been able to get by the Toronto native or even win an aerial dual against him. Chandler is one of three Badgers to have played every minute so far this season and this likely will not change anytime soon.
 
NIU has found a diamond in the rough in forward Taisei Arima. The Japan international and first-year transfer from Fort Hayes State University leads the team with three goals and one assist in seven games.
 
3. HISTORY OF WEDNESDAY GAMES: Wednesday games do not happen often for the Badgers during the regular season, so this Wednesday is an extra special game. In the past three years there have been only two regular season games on a Wednesday; the last one being against Michigan State on March 31, 2021 and the one before that on October 2, 2019.
 
4. RECAPPING THE WEEK: The Badgers are coming off tough back-to-back losses to start their Big Ten schedule. Last Friday, the team lost to Rutgers in a very unlucky outing that saw Wisconsin go down a man 22 minutes into the match. The boys showed their grit and resilience against the Scarlet Knights but ended up losing 2-0. The Big Ten opener at Penn State before that was tied 0-0 until the Nittany Lions scored in the 86th minute.
 
5. HOW TO FOLLOW: The game against NIU (3-3-2) can be streamed on BTN+. Fans can also follow along via live stats or in person at McClimon where admission is free.