The NIU men’s soccer team extended its winning streak to five games and doubled its win total of last season this weekend.

Their 1-0 win Friday over Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne and 2-1 double overtime victory Sunday over Western Michigan also put the Huskies (6-3 overall, 1-0 MAC) into second place in the MAC.

NIU freshman Fraser Gibson scored his second goal of the game against UWM on a rebound off a Curt Zastrow shot. The game winner came 102:06 into the game.

“The goal he scored was good,” NIU coach Steve Simmons said. “But there were others that were much easier.”

Gibson remains one goal short of senior Bruce Conrad’s team-leading three goals.

Conrad scored his third goal in as many games Friday against IPFW (5-4). His goal came with three minutes remaining in the first half off a rebound off a Jose Alvarado shot.

“Bruce is a doer,” Simmons said. “He’s not a rah-rah guy. He’s a senior, and we want to count on him for his leadership.”

NIU’s reserve goalkeeper Brent Hartman registered the shutout, keeping hold of his MAC-leading .842 save percentage. The junior transfer has a 4-0 record when starting in net for the Huskies.

NIU’s No. 1 goalkeeper Steve Goletz, however, said he was back to full strength Sunday after being out two weeks with a contusion in his right knee. Simmons started Goletz to begin MAC play and said Hartman wasn’t playing at the level at which he needed to be.

Goletz said he and Hartman have talked and everything is fine between the two.

“On and off the field, we have the utmost respect for each other,” Goletz said. “Brent’s behind the team 100 percent, and that’s part of the reason we’re 6-3 right now.”

The Huskies started slow against UWM and headed into the half down 1-0.

“I was disappointed with the guys,” Simmons said. “We came out flat and almost paid the price, but I give the guys credit for hanging tough.”

NIU remained down until Gibson scored his first goal as a Huskie off a crossing pass from Alvarado with 3:13 remaining in the game.

The teams headed into overtime tied at one and went scoreless through the first overtime period.

With Gibson’s goal in the second overtime, NIU has four players with two or more goals on the season. The Huskies have eight players who have notched at least one goal.

NIU’s five-game winning streak is their longest since 1999, when the team had a streak of five wins in a row on their way to the MAC tournament championship game.

“The guys are coming of age,” Simmons said. “And conference play is the right time to do it.”