After its season-ending loss to Ball State last year in the 2003 MAC tournament finals, the NIU men’s tennis team circled Easter 2004 on its calendar.

NIU (14-4 overall, 1-1 MAC) will look for revenge when it hosts Ball State (10-11, 3-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Anderson Courts.

Before last year, the Huskies never advanced to the MAC tournament championship game and had their title aspirations dashed by the Cardinals.

Senior Juan Pablo Barriga missed last year’s final with a stress fracture in his right wrist that kept him on the sidelines.

“In the three years I’ve been here, we’ve never beat [Ball State],” Barriga said. “Ball State has dominated the MAC in tennis the last few years, so it’ll be a big match, and we’ll be ready.”

Since their last meeting, the Huskies and the Cardinals have headed in opposite directions leading into this weekend’s match. NIU is a perfect 7-0 at home this season, while the Cardinals have been streaky, winning their past four matches but losing seven straight games at one point in the season.

“I think we can get right back in the hunt for the top of the MAC,” NIU senior Aaron Forsberg said. “Only the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds get first round byes, so this is very important. Anything is possible.”

Ball State’s top singles players Matt Baccarani and Matt Laramore have won MAC Player of the Week the past two weeks.

“Any time we face Ball State, we look forward to it,” NIU coach Pontus Hiort said. “Especially after losing in the finals last year, our guys should be pumped for the match.”

Hiort said No. 1 singles player Willy Gali will play in the match after missing Tuesday’s victory over UIC because of a family emergency.

“This is going to sum up our whole year right here,” NIU senior Ryan Schnack said. “It will be very big for momentum and would give us a lot of confidence for the MAC tournament. It can make or break our season.”