With two weeks left in its regular season, NIU wrestling has a chance to do something it has not achieved since the 2007-2008 season: finish with an above .500 record.

NIU (6-8, 0-4 MAC) enters this weekend’s home duals with the chance to even up its win-loss margin before finishing the season at Buffalo.

The Huskies are set to face off against SIU-Edwardsville (4-13) and Tiffin University (2-9).

Not only are the Huskies going up against two of the less-talented opponents they have seen all season, but they are returning to Victor E. Court, where they are 4-3 this season. NIU’s last win was Jan. 8 against Lock Haven at home. Since that dual, the Huskies have suffered four straight road losses, three of which came against MAC teams.

“It’s always nice to compete at home,” said NIU coach Ryan Ludwig. “These are very important matches for us…with the season winding down. It’s a great chance to get on a roll and create some momentum going into the postseason.”

With the season ending, the Huskies solidified much of the lineup. Team captain and recent MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week, Brad Dieckhaus, is undefeated at 184 with an 8-0 record.

Since the return of sophomore sensation Nick Smith, the Huskies look like a strong unit that could very well be in position to end the season with a few strong duals.

Heavyweight Jared Torrence showed strides lately while Kevin Fanta showed his early season success was no fluke, as he moved up from 133 to 141 for the Huskies. NIU seems to be headed in the right direction with only one conference match remaining, a match that will have MAC tournament implications.

“We typically wrestle Buffalo last, and that’s not a mistake,” Ludwig said. “It’s always nice to see MAC action last heading into the MAC tournament. I think that some of those matches against Buffalo, if we can come out on top, we can get some great seeds in the tournament at the end of the year.”