DeKALB | There’s nothing better than squaring off against one of your arch rivals. The NIU wrestling team will do that tonight when it travels to Kent State to take on the Golden Flashes in a MAC showdown at 7:05 p.m.

The Huskies are on a roll of late, coming off two conference wins over Buffalo and Ohio. The Golden Flashes, ranked No. 21 nationally, also carry momentum into tonight’s match-up, having won their last five dual meets. A win over KSU will all but ensure the Huskies making their way into the national rankings.

“The guys know the importance of this dual meet,” NIU head coach Dave Grant said.

“It’s all about getting a good MAC ranking for the conference tournament, and our goal is always to be seeded No. 1.”

Both teams boast four nationally ranked wrestlers tonight.

Probably one of the biggest matches of the day will be in the 125-pound match-up. NIU junior Pat Castillo will put his No. 17 ranking on the line against No. 19 ranked Chad Sportelli of KSU.

Another intriguing battle will be between NIU’s Duke Burk and KSU’s 20th ranked Eric Chine in the 184-pound class.

“We hate Kent State more than any other team,” Burk said. “If we go in there and win we will be on the national stage.”

Other ranked Huskies Mike Grimes and Johnny Galloway will battle in the 149-pound and 165-pound class, respectively.

NIU will rely heavily on its top competitors to pick up some crucial wins. However, Grant knows all his wrestlers will need to be at their best if the team is going to leave Ohio happy.

“We are counting on all ten guys,” Grant said. “There’s going to be some swing matches in there, so we need to go in and grind it out.”