Feb. 22, 2010

DeKALB - The Northern Illinois men's soccer team will face an NCAA Tournament team, a BIG EAST foe and look to defend the Governor's Cup during the Huskies' exhibition spring season, head coach Eric Luzzi announced Monday.

"Overall, we are very excited for this spring's schedule," Luzzi said. "We will get to test our guys by playing a total of seven Division I teams, including one team that made the NCAA Tournament last year as well as one Big East team."

The Huskies host NCAA participant Green Bay, March 27 at 4 p.m. as part of a three-team round robin. NIU will also face Valparaiso, a 10-win team in 2009, at 1:30 p.m. On April 17, Northern Illinois will travel to the good land, Milwaukee, to face BIG EAST member Marquette at 7 p.m.

Another highlight of the spring includes the annual Alumni Day Game, April 10 at noon. The Huskies host UW-Milwaukee, with alumni game to follow at 3 p.m. NIU plays the Panthers each fall for rights to the Lewang Cup, one of the few traveling trophies in college soccer.

"Our games against UW-Milwaukee are always intense because of the nature of the rivalry over the Lewang Cup," Luzzi said.

The spring season concludes with the Governor's Cup, an annual four-team tournament between NIU, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, April 24 in Charleston, Ill.

"The timing of the Governors Cup is great this year," Luzzi said. "It will be the final match date for us, and will serve as something for us to build towards throughout the entire spring season."

Games in the Governor's Cup take on a special intensity with Prairie State bragging rights on the line.

"The quality of matches in the Governors Cup is always higher than other spring games because we are actually playing for something," Luzzi said. "We were able to win it last year, and we will go into that day knowing that it will take two really good performances from our team to retain the Cup."

While NIU will focus on winning every match of the spring, it won't be the primary goal of the season.

"Although we are pleased to have put together such a solid schedule, the spring is really about measuring our own team," Luzzi said. "We have been very pleased with the commitment and professional mentality that our players have displayed throughout the early part of spring, and we are excited to give our guys to opportunity to perform and show us how they have improved."

Northern Illinois started the spring on the right foot Feb. 13 with a 3-1 win over Loyola in seven-on-seven competition. The match was a part of NIU's annual coaching clinic.

The Huskies finished last season with a 10-8-1 record that included a tie on the road against then No. 1 North Carolina.

Northern Illinois University Men's Soccer

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