With only two weeks before the MAC Tournament, NIU men’s tennis has the potential to do something it never has before: win the MAC regular season title.

The Huskies (18-6, 2-0 MAC) have three conference matchups remaining, including two at home this weekend against Toledo and Buffalo. The matches will play a significant role in where NIU stands once the conference tournament comes around.

“If we win both, with the exemption of our last conference match against Chicago State, it will really put us in the driver’s seat to get the number one seed going into the MAC Tournament,” said NIU coach Patrick Fisher. “That would give us a bye in the first round, so this is a huge weekend. If we win both, it will at least guarantee a share of the regular season title, which is something we’ve never won. It will be a first for our program.”

Toledo (15-8, 1-1 MAC) started slow this season but has picked up its performance significantly as of late.

After a 6-1 loss in early Feb. to Michigan State, Toledo reeled off an eight-match winning streak and won 10 of its last 12.

Buffalo (7-8, 2-0 MAC) is also surging as of late. After starting the season 1-7, the Bulls put together a seven-match winning streak that was snapped last weekend against Binghamton. Buffalo recently topped Toledo 6-1 and picked up its other conference win against perennial threat Western Michigan.

NIU has had problems with Toledo and Buffalo, losing to both schools the past two years. This season, however, NIU is led by a squad that has four players capable of playing the number one singles spot, including Dor Amir and Axel Lagerlof, who share the best record on the team at 22-4.

The main area that has limited the Huskies so far this season is doubles play. Last weekend, Marquette snapped NIU’s eight-match winning streak after a 4-3 defeat in which NIU won three singles matches, but could not claim the doubles point.

“We’ve got to try to continue to play with a higher level of intensity in doubles,” Fisher said. “We’ve go to have a better showing in doubles. That’s a key for us. We need some great performances from everyone on our team.”