Looking back at the 2008 NIU men’s soccer season, many things changed with the installment of a brand new FIFA two star-quality playing surface.

The surface came with the all-new Track and Field/Soccer Complex, a technologically savvy draining system and a brand new scoreboard.

“It took a year for our guys to kind of get used to it,” said Steve Simmons, NIU men’s soccer head coach, of the new home field. “It’s a fast field; it’s a very clean field as far as the ball roll. Our guys really enjoyed playing on it.”

Simmons said his team would light up with the chance to train on the new artificial surface, and even credits the field’s draining system to the NIU/Adidas Invitational hosted by the Huskies.

“That whole weekend of our tournament was a downpour,” the coach said. “If we didn’t have our field, that tournament would have been canceled for sure.”

Though the field is flashy for tournament play, Simmons says the new technology also has practical use for the high-level soccer played in DeKalb. He noted that NIU will never fall prey to grass field complications, like MAC opponent Akron did after the conference tournament.

“Going into the NCAA tournament, Akron was not able to play on their home field at all because the field was so chewed up from the MAC tournament,” he said. “In the Sweet 16, Akron was the top seed, but they ended up playing Northwestern at Northwestern … Looking forward, I think it’s really going to help us down the road so we don’t get penalized by having to move locations.”

The only problem the Huskies have to face is in scheduling games that won’t extend after sunset. The Track and Field/Soccer Complex has yet to see the installment of lights, so many of NIU’s games are held during midday. Simmons is looking forward to new lights, because he believes midday games conflict with his team’s class schedules.

“That’s my main concern: having our players miss class for our home games,” Simmons said. “This is a superb facility, and there’s no doubt that lights are the last piece. But at the end of the day, it would be very, very helpful.”

While the team waits to get back into competition in the fall, snow sits where the men used to play. A harsh DeKalb winter has settled in, leaving questions as to whether or not the field will hold up for another season.

“Any type of surface like that does get affected, but you just don’t know to what degree,” Simmons said. “I think we got it right. I think that once we start seeing better weather, our field, because of the way it’s built, is going to be able to be clear of snow sooner than any grass field for sure … We’ll be able to make the most of it.”