Second-year men’s soccer coach Steve Simmons and senior Andy Champion listed three components that will put the Huskies at the top of the MAC.

They said they have two out of three, with team cohesion coming soon.

“We wanted to change the culture last year, and I believe we did that,” Simmons said. “This year we want to evolve and be in a higher place than last fall.”

Simmons said that his team has already worked themselves in better shape and are playing improved defense.

In his first season last year, Simmons coached a Huskies team that finished sixth out of seven teams in the MAC with a 3-13-2 mark.

“We’ll be very solid on defense,” said Champion, a defensive center-midfielder. “But if we’re going to be successful, we need to score goals.”

Which is exactly what has been NIU’s problem for the past four seasons. Before Simmons arrived on the scene last year, the Huskies were being outscored by an average of 34-17 over the 2000-’03 seasons.

Last fall, the Huskies didn’t fair any better, with their opponents outscoring them 30-16. Simmons and assistant coach Ian Clerihew tried to address their offensive woes through recruiting.

Outside of junior transfer and goalkeeper Brent Hartman, one of three players brought in from Arizona, five of Simmons’ nine recruits played offense on their previous teams.

“It’s easier to destroy than create,” Simmons said in comparing offense to defense. “We’re going to create our chances from our defensive intensity and discipline.”

Six-legged race

Both Steve Goletz and Matt Corcoran started in net for the Huskies during their freshman seasons. Corcoran got the nod last year after Goletz was lost for the season with a broken wrist. And Goletz took over the net in 2001 after Rasih Pala, who is now playing professionally in Turkey, was moved to offense.

However, with Hartman emerging onto the scene, there is no clear-cut starter yet.

Simmons said he would name his starter after reviewing film on NIU’s exhibition against Oregon State at 2 p.m. Saturday at Huskie Soccer Field.

“Brent has really stepped up the intensity,” Simmons said. ”Steve is behind because of his leg injury [which occurred during fall workouts], but he’s looking close to form.”

NIU’s other hole on defense comes at the loss of defensive captain Jason Sullivan to graduation.

“It’s tough to lose a guy like Sulli,” Simmons said. “We have candidates, but those are some big shoes to fill.”

College experience required

Even with 12 new players on this year’s roster, Simmons is grateful that he won’t be forced to field all of his freshmen.

Corcoran and fellow sophomores Justin McGrane, who Simmons also looks to be a vocal leader, Mike Corvo, Kevin Woerner and Jose Alvarado all started in games last season.

Simmons acknowledged the returning players’ hard work in practice as the reason why NIU won’t be pressed to field a team of rookies again.

As for the new class, Simmons said there hasn’t been one newcomer that has emerged onto the scene, but he is confident that someone will emerge within the first two weeks.

“The first exhibition game won’t tell us everything,” Clerihew said. “But after three or four games, we’ll find out what we’re all about.”