The men’s rugby team finished its first ever season in Division 1-AA with an impressive regular season record of 7-1 last year.

The Huskies ended their season at the National Playoffs in April, finishing ranked in the top 10. This season they are looking to continue their success despite losing many senior leaders.

Pat Caulfield, senior and president of the rugby club team, feels NIU will be able to enjoy success this season, even after losing many seniors.

“We are relying on new players to step into big roles this season,” Caulfield said. “In our first game against the alumni on Aug. 31, many of these new players showed their abilities and helped us defeat our alumni.”

Osama Shayeb, senior and team captain, echoed what Caulfield said about the new players stepping in for this season.

“We lost a lot of starters from last year unfortunately, but we are still looking good with all the new guys,” Shayeb said.

Along with new players, NIU will also have a new place to call home: the outdoor recreational facility. The facility is already helping the Huskies and will allow for better playing conditions this year.

Caulfield said the team is able to use the turf field during rain. In the past, the team would have to cancel practices when there was heavy storming.

“I feel more like a pro going out there. It’s a nice facility,” Shayeb said. “We see that the school is putting in effort to make sure that we have the right facilities and that makes us feel good and want to do [well] for the school.”

With new players and a new home field, NIU looks to continue its winning ways this season.

“This season we intend to pick up where we left off last year,” Caulfield said. “Though we did exceptional in our first year in Division 1-AA, we are anxious to prove to everyone that we can do even better, despite having a fresh squad.”

The team will begin its regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday versus the University of Cincinnati at the Outdoor Recreation Sports Complex.

“We are looking to win the MAC this year, not just come in second,” Shayeb said. “We want to get NIU on top of the MAC, not just in football, but in rugby, too.”