Maybe the NIU men’s soccer team should play all their matches during the season with something on the line.

Either that, or make sure it’s playing a nationally ranked team, because both scenarios bring out the best in the Huskies.

In matches earlier this season against Notre Dame, Akron and Northwestern, the Huskies played extremely tough, earning ties with the Fighting Irish and Zips, while upsetting the Wildcats.

On Tuesday, facing elimination with a loss, NIU played a complete match against Bowling Green to earn a 3-0 win in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals.

The stakes will be high again tonight as the Huskies combine the two, playing nationally ranked Akron again in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament, with a loss sending the Huskies home for the winter.

NIU (7-8-4) has already played the Zips, playing to a 0-0 tie in a conference match.

“It’s always a big match and there’s always a lot on the line when we play Akron,” coach Steve Simmons said. “We’re going to go into this weekend’s match with that mind set, knowing that we’re going to get one heck of a game.”

If even more proof is needed that the stakes will be high for this showdown, the Huskies beat the Zips in last year’s MAC Championship match at home. This year, though, only one team will get to the championship match.

The Huskies, seeded fifth, beat Bowling Green on Tuesday to earn its match with the top-seeded Zips.

“We’re going in as the lower seed, but at the end of the day it’s two teams battling it out,” Simmons said.

The match begins at 6:30 p.m. today and, with all the turmoil the Huskies faced during the regular season, not one player on the roster is doubting that they can pull out the win.

“All the guys need to be hungry, and with that hunger you get performances like we had against Bowling Green,” Simmons said.