The elation of a big win lasted only for a minute for the NIU soccer team.

The Huskies, 3-1-1, captured their biggest win of the young season over New Mexico in a 1-0 double overtime thriller on Wednesday.

“We were physically and mentally drained after the match,” Jim Hall, a midfielder, said. “After a win like that you’re on an emotional high, but you have to bring yourself down to earth to play the next match.”

The focus is now on the 3-3 Southwest Missouri St. team, whom the Huskies will take on today at 4 p.m. at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

The Huskies thumped the Bears 7-0 last year. “I’m sure they remember what we did to them,” NIU coach Willy Roy said, “so we have to be prepared for them.”

Also on the horizon for the Huskies is the No. 11 ranked team in the nation, Southern Methodist University. The two teams will meet Sunday at 2 p.m. in Charleston.

“We have to worry about Southwest Missouri,” he said. “We don’t even need to worry about SMU, they’re the ranked team in the nation. They have to beat us, we don’t have to beat them.”

However, NIU thinks the SMU match is a must-win game. “I think we have something to prove,” midfielder Dave Weichman said. “We’ve been snubbed the last two years for an NCAA bid. We have to prove we’re a Top-20 worthy team.”

Is NIU a Top-20 worthy team? “I think we are,” Weichman said. “We’re not going to outscore anybody, but our defense will win our games. If we score two goals per game, we won’t lose, because one goal is the most other teams can score on our defense.”

Wednesday’s hero Andy Lane was still excited about his first goal of the year which turned out to be the match winner over New Mexico. “Yeah, it still feels pretty good,” Lane said. “I’m more relieved because I’ve gone over the hump, scoring that first goal.”

The Huskies also proved they could overcome a physical obstacle in New Mexico. “They were fast and physical,” Lane said. “We were intimidated in the beginning, but we hung tough.”

“We showed a lot of character,” Roy said. “People realize we’re a good team, and they’re going to test us by pushing us around. I think we need to mix it up a little bit more from the start and not be so intimidated.”

One side note: New Mexico goalie Easy Jimenez suffered a fractured skull in Wednesday’s match against the Huskies. He’s undergoing treatment in Rockford. He was accidentally kicked above his eye by one of his teammates while going after a loose ball in front of his goal.