After Wednesday’s 1-1 showdown between NIU and Indiana, one might get the impression that Tony Adolfs and Ken Snow are the best of friends.

Quite contrary to that fact, Adolfs and Snow are everything but friends.

Adolfs, NIU’s senior defender, was assigned the arduous task of checking IU’s leading scorer, Snow.

“That was part of the game plan,” NIU coach Willy Roy said. “We knew we had to deny him (Snow) service, even when he didn’t have the ball.”

For the duration of the game, Adolfs played closer than a shadow to the potent Indiana forward. Snow, the Hoosiers’ all-time leading scorer, was limited to just two shots during the contest, neither of which was on goal.

“Coach (Roy) gave me a job and I think I did a decent job,” Adolfs said. “He (Snow) is a very sneaky player.”

At 5-8 and 150 pounds, Snow plays an upbeat, elusive style of soccer. No. 9 usually pops up from nowhere to make the difference for the Hoosiers.

“He’s a very good player,” Willy Roy said. “It’s tough to stop Snow.

“He shows up for two minutes, then he’s gone for 25 minutes, then he shows up for the important two minutes.”

Snow, apparently conscientious of Adolfs, hurried the best opportunity that he had. It occurred late in the game. Adolfs overran a pass to the senior, but Snow’s chance thawed out as he rushed the shot wide-right of the net.

“Kenny had a great chance towards the end, but it wasn’t like Kenny to rush it,” Indiana coach Jerry Yeagley said. “There weren’t many other chances that Kenny had. Adolfs—he did a nice job.”

With the exception of the NIU “own goal,” the entire defense literally shut down an Indiana offense that came into the game averaging 2.21 goals per contest. NIU goalkeeper, Markus Roy, came one mistake away from blanking the 9th-ranked team in the nation. Roy ended the game with two saves, yet the junior stopped 10 IU corner kicks.

“I thought Tony did a great job,” Roy said. “Karsten (Roy), Tony and Markus (Roy) all did a really great job. The defense played well.”

Now, the Huskies have to turn their attentions to Sunday’s 1 p.m. home contest versus former Mid-Continent Conference member Southwest Missouri State University.

The match-up is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. NIU, second in the Mid-Continent, will be looking to improve on their 9-4-2 ledger.