Remembrance and tribute will be on the minds of the NIU men’s soccer team tonight.

As the Huskies travel to Wisconsin to battle Milwaukee in the annual memorial Lewang Cup, former NIU men’s soccer coach John Lewang will be remembered.

Lewang died in a car accident while completing a recruiting trip prior to the 1981 season. In tribute to the former coach, the two schools face-off each year for the cup, in one of the Midwest’s toughest rivalries. This season’s chapter begins tonight at 7:05 p.m.

The Huskies (6-2-3 overall, 1-1-1 MAC) will defend the cup for a second straight season. NIU claimed the cup in 2006, after losing the match for six straight years. In the most recent game, the Huskies grabbed a 1-0 win on their 2007 senior day, leaving the series tally at 13-17-3.

“It’s an emotional trophy for both of us,” said NIU head coach Steve Simmons. “Over the years, both teams had made the game a big part of their season and this year won’t be any different. It’s a different kind of emotion, but it’s emotion where they want to go out and keep the cup.”

Both teams in tonight’s contest will be playing without normal rest. NIU battled to a 1-1 double overtime draw with Buffalo on Friday, and Milwaukee is coming off a 2-0 loss to Green Bay on Saturday.

“I think that being fresh is going to factor into the game,” Simmons said. “Both teams played over the weekend. We played a day earlier, but Milwaukee played at home, so they don’t have to look at travel days. So when you look at the margin, it’s pretty even.”

Simmons said the honor of winning the memorial cup is enough incentive for both teams to leave it all on the field. Typically, out of conference games aren’t as emotional, he warned. But since the trophy is on the line, he guarantees that NIU will do whatever they can to defend the Cup.

Coming off a great athletic showing in Buffalo last week, Simmons hopes his team can live up to its first-to-the-ball mentality. Simmons, however, wants his team to take it to the next level and finish on scoring chances.

“Without everything else we worked on last week, we really want to hone in on our finishing abilities,” he said. “We want to be able to capitalize on being first to the ball.”

NIU ranks first in its conference in shots taken, averaging 18.55 per game. Sophomore Engebreth Faerden leads the team in shooting, tallying 1.82 shots a match. Faerden ranks sixth overall in the MAC in shots per game.

Despite heavy ammunition, the Huskies rank third when it comes to hitting their target. NIU has scored 19 goals in 11 games, with a team-high four goals coming from freshman Brad Horton.

Horton’s scores are the third best for a player in the MAC.