Who has the edge?

NIU men’s soccer team plays at 3 p.m. Sunday at Eastern Illinois University.

The Huskies (6-2-1) have lost to EIU (3-4-1) the last three years by scores of 2-0, 2-1 and 3-1.

Yet, NIU is on a three-game winning streak after knocking off former No. 26 St. Louis and the University of Wisconsin by scores of 1-0.

Now ranked No. 5 in the Midwest region in the NSCAA/adidas poll, the Huskies will look to get NIU coach Steve Simmons and the senior class their first win against EIU.

“Every year they’ve just outplayed us in every aspect of the game,” said Steve Goletz, NIU junior goalkeeper. “I’ve been here four years and I don’t want to lose four years in a row.”

Having alternated wins and losses in its last six games, EIU is coming off a 4-0 win over Olivet Nazarene.

The Panthers goalkeeper situation has been just as inconsistent.

EIU’s junior goalkeeper Paul Jennison, from Middlesborough, England, began the season as the starter. After going 0-1-1 in net, Panthers freshman Mark Hansen took over until incurring an injury.

In stepped another freshman, Nick Alexander. The Omaha, NE native has started the past four games, with Hansen relieving him for the last 20 minutes of EIU’s win over Olivet Nazarene.

“I haven’t talked with the players about Eastern yet,” Simmons said Thursday morning – 12 hours after NIU returned from its match with Wisconsin Wednesday. “EIU’s got enough dangerous players that if they’re having an inconsistent year, they’re capable of hitting a high when playing us.”

The Huskies and EIU have played three common opponents in Valparaiso, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Western Illinois. NIU compiled a 3-0 record against the group while the Panthers went 1-2.

“It’s an in-state rivalry and they’re going to come out hard,” Goletz said. “We need to match that intensity, something we haven’t done these last three years. If we approach practice these next two days like we have from the beginning of the year, there shouldn’t be a letdown.”