With Marshall and Kentucky leaving the MAC for Conference-USA at the end of the 2004-05 athletic season, NIU will look for two teams to place on its fall men’s soccer schedule.

“It will help in not having to travel so far,” NIU men’s soccer coach Steve Simmons said. “We’ll look to replace them with local teams, but it hurts losing a high RPI team like Kentucky.”

UK has competed in the MAC for only men’s soccer since joining in 1995. The Wildcats won five of the last six MAC regular season titles, including 2004, where NIU ended second.

The Huskies finished above .500 for the first time since 1999 at 12-7 overall and 4-2 in the MAC.

Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo and Western Michigan join NIU as the remaining MAC men’s soccer representatives.

For the time being, the NCAA is giving the MAC a two-year grace period to retain its automatic bid for the MAC Tournament Champion to go to the NCAA Championships.

Spring fever

NIU finished its spring schedule with a 5-2-3 record.

The team went unbeaten in its first seven games and had seven players score at least one goal.

Simmons said he was very pleased with the play of junior Brendon Parrish, who recorded four assists in the final five games.

“I think the light came on for him,” Simmons said. “He’s raised the stakes for the level of player we want to have at striker next year.”

Semi-pros

NIU players won’t report back to Simmons until Aug. 14.

In the meantime, sophomore Jose Alverado and Gibson have earned a chance to play for the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League, a semi-pro amateur league.

Simmons said the Chicago Fire Premier, a feeder team for the Chicago Fire, and the Fort Wayne Fever have offered tryouts to the two players.

“Many of our freshman will play club ball for their U-19 teams while other guys take classes,” Simmons said. “They all know they’re individually responsible to make progress for next fall.”