The NIU men’s tennis team is on fire. After a cold 2-9 start, the Huskie netters have turned up the heat, winning six of their last nine, and plan to rise a few more degrees to burn up the Flames of the University of Illinois-Chicago in a classic Mid-Con rival this Saturday at the West Campus Courts.

The Huskies (8-11) skated through matches against University of Wisconson-Green Bay, and University of Hawaii last Sunday, not allowing their opponents to score a point.

Leading this Huskie team is senior Dustin Dorbin who has won his last three matches at the No. 2 spot. Last Sunday, in NIU’s only conference match this season, against UWGB, Dorbin beat his opponent by scores 6-2, 6-0. On the doubles end, the Steve Senter-David Settelmyer combination has won their last four matches.

Madden also said he will try some different players in Saturday’s match. Among these new players is senior Ralph Platz, who will team with junior Andy Schoeberlein for a doubles match.

“UIC is another conference match we need to win,” Madden explained. “We need to show people we can win in the conference.”

If the Huskies have to win a conference match, they will win it at home. The Huskies, who are 6-0 in Dekalb this season, are in the midst of a 14-game home winning streak. Also, NIU has not lost a conference match at home in their last 16 showings.

To add to the “sportswriters’ jinx”, the last two times the Huskies faced the Flames (3-6), they came out with a pair of 8-1 victories.

You won’t see an 8-1 victory this weekend for either team since the NCAA changed the scoring system for men’s tennis. Instead of each doubles’ victory adding a point to the team’s total score, a team will receive one point for winning two out of the three doubles matches. Also, the matches will consist of only one set that goes to eight points instead winning the best of three sets.

“I like it,” Madden said. “Something needed to be done about shortening the matches and bringing the people out. The more people we get out there, the better we play.”

The Huskies are on a roll right now, and April tends to be their month. NIU has posted a 17-2 standing during the month of April in the past two seasons.

“The momentum is going our way,” Madden said. “We’re looking to keep that momentum going into the conference championships.”

The Huskies are sure to be the favorite in Saturday’s match and will try to extend their conference standing to 2-0.

“I’m starting to feel like people are after us,” Madden said. “If we’re favored, I guess that means that we are the better team.”