The men’s soccer team got back in the win column Saturday by defeating the University of Akron Zips for the first time since 2006 2-1.

“I thought we stuck to the game play and didn’t think we had a poor performance; I’m delighted with the result,” Head Coach Ryan Swan said. “Conference games are so much different [than other games]. Early in the season, our guys came in in great shape, so we got early jumps on games sometimes. As you get later into the season and everyone is figuring themselves out and getting better organized, I don’t think the goals come as easy.”

Ending the 12-year and 15-match drought against the Zips improved NIU to 8-5-1 on the season and 1-2-0 in conference.

“We knew it was a tough opponent,” junior midfielder Irvin Dominguez said. “You have to step up against the big opponents. We definitely had them circled on the calendar and made sure we stepped up to the challenge.”

Akron got on the scoreboard first with a goal in minute-22 from first year forward Colin Biros. Huskies’ junior goalkeeper Konrad Dziedzic got caught out of position and Biros finished the play into a nearly empty net.

NIU entered the second half down a goal, but the deficit wouldn’t last long. First-year forward Nick Markanich added to his team-leading goal total by scoring less than four minutes into the second half. Senior midfielder Kevin Rodriguez set up Markanich’s eighth goal of the season with a cross into the goal area.

“When things are going well for [Markanich], when he’s confident, he’s very difficult to stop,” Swan said. “I thought he was very good again tonight; he created several [scoring] chances. He’s a goal scorer, which I think is something we’ve been missing for [a while].”

Dominguez was given a yellow card in minute-79; he responded by scoring the game-winning goal 18 seconds later.

Dominguez picked the pocket of an Akron defender to give himself a breakaway and beat the goalkeeper, who came well out of his net to try to stop the Huskies’ midfielder.

“I have to stop [yellow card] play,” Dominguez said. “You have to bounce back though; you can’t let [those plays] stop you. I kept pressuring, found the ball and put it in the back of the net.”

The Zips outshot NIU 7-6, including 4-3 on net, but the Huskies overcame the slight possession disadvantage.

The Huskies look to keep momentum in their favor when they play the Loyola University of Chicago Ramblers 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Loyola Soccer Park. The Ramblers are currently riding a four-game winning streak.