DeKALB | The men’s golf team had a difficult weekend battling the weather at the Marquette Intercollegiate, finishing in ninth place out of 10 participating schools.

The golfers said they appreciated playing at a golf course like Milwaukee Country Club, in River Hills, Wisconsin, a course they have never seen or played on.

“It was an excellent event with a really strong field,” NIU head coach Tom Porten said. “[The golf course] is very unique and is a one-of-a-kind track.”

NIU (292-292-298 — 882) was unable to sneak into the top five after a good day one of the tournament scoring 292 as a team in both Saturday rounds.

“The scoring was good in the morning and the afternoon of day one,” Porten said. “We were in a position to catch teams like [Unviersity of] Wisconsin and Marquette [University] on the last day, but we couldn’t keep [ the momentum] going.”

The conditions were not friendly to the golfers as it rained for the majority of the tournament.

NCAA officials allowed the golfers to play the “lift, clean and place” or “winter rules,” which allows golfers to improve their lie based on poor course conditions to protect the course.

“I liked the way [the team] played the 36-hole day under the adverse weather conditions,” Porten said. “We were consistent and shot a good score in both rounds.”

The Huskies were led by senior golfer Pierrick Fillon (72-72-71 — 215), who finished in the top 25 as an individual for the tournament.

“[Fillon] was fantastic,” Porten said. “He scrambled beautifully and kept his confidence up for the whole tournament.”

Fillon worked hard during his final round of 71, as he had to scramble because of hitting only eight greens in regulation.

Fillon and the team are optimistic about his skills going forward in the fall and headed into spring, as well as his ability to compete with the best players in the country.

“I look up at those guys who are on top and realize that I’m closer to that level than I ever imagined,” Fillon said.

Porten said team finishes aren’t everything, but he is happy to see the progression and improvement that his players have made so far this season.

“Overall I am slightly disappointed in the team finish, but pleased with the progress that some of our guys have made individually,” Porten said.

The coaching staff and players know the key to competing in events against other teams is getting consistent contributions all across the board from the entire team.

“We’re trying to get some consistency from players one to five,” Porten said. “That is what we have been trying to build because it is a team game.”

The Huskies will keep that in mind as they host the Northern Intercollegiate Sunday and Monday at the Beverly Country Club, 8700 S. Western Ave in Chicago.