Lakeland and Illinois Institute of Technology meet Saturday for the fifth time as Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference rivals, after the Scarlet Hawks joined the conference in 2018. Illinois Tech has won the last six meetings between the schools overall, including an 8-0 blanking last year in Chicago. IIT also won the most recent match at Lakeland, rolling to a 7-0 win Oct. 23, 2021. The Muskies scored their lone win over Illinois Tech in their first-ever meeting in the 2005 season opener, as Laura Engel scored the only goal in a 1-0 win.

Lakeland last time out: Defeated Wisconsin Lutheran 1-0 Wednesday
The Muskies picked up one of their biggest NACC wins in years and won for the first time in conference play this season. Mikayla Belasco scored the match's lone goal on a penalty kick in the 59th minute and Lakeland held the rest of the way, with Faith Turley making seven saves to pick up the shutout. WLC finished with a 20-10 advantage in shots, but just a 9-8 lead in that category in the second half, including no shots in the final 24 minutes as the Muskies largely prevented the Warriors from mounting a serious rally at the end and even outshot Lutheran 3-0 in the final 12 minutes. Lakeland snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series and topped Wisconsin Lutheran for the first time since 2016.

Illinois Tech last time out: Won at Dominican 5-0 Wednesday
The Scarlet Hawks continued to roll, winning on the road in River Forest to extend their unbeaten streak to nine. Five different players scored goals including Mary Frampton recording the first goal just 2:31 into the match. IIT led 2-0 after nine minutes of play and then added its final three goals in the last 29 minutes, including two goals 1:50 apart between the 77th and 79th minutes. The Scarlet Hawks won their fifth straight match and have allowed just seven goals all season, five coming against nationally ranked MIT in September.