The last game of the season for the NIU men’s soccer team symbolized exactly the way the season went for a youthful Huskie squad.

NIU scored the first goal Friday in a loss to Marshall in the first round of the MAC championship tournament. This season NIU cracked the scoreboard first in nine of its 18 outings.

All four of NIU’s victories this season came when the Huskies got on the board first. However, two of the wins were 1-0 victories over Western Michigan and Western Illinois.

“Of course we’re disappointed in our record,” head coach Willy Roy said.

NIU was able to keep many games close as well, outside of a 5-0 loss to Bradley, but never could find a way to finish off the opposition. The nail-biters included 1-0 overtime losses to DePaul and Loyola, and a 6-5 defeat at the hands of Marshall during the regular season. NIU was up 5-2 against the Thundering Herd before allowing four goals in the last 30 minutes of regulation.

In order to win these games next season, Roy and his staff hope to add a defender, a defensive midfielder and most of all, some offense.

Friday, the Huskies held a 1-1 tie with Marshall, and took the Thundering Herd into two overtimes, a shootout and a sudden victory shootout. In the end, the story was the same for NIU, as it lost another squeaker.

“I am extremely proud of the team,” Roy said. “Marshall is a senior-loaded team, and they wanted to see how they could scare us. Our guys fought back.”

Roy said that Marshall played very dirty in the teams’ two meetings.

“A dirty play hurt Steve Goletz,” Roy said of the teams’ first meeting. “I could’ve made the switch at goal, but we were scoring goals.”

Looking back on the situation now, Roy said he should’ve made the switch.

“The same player took out Steve Polkowski in the second game,” Roy said. “The guy should’ve been red-carded. As a coach, I would never condone dirty play.”

Senior defensemen Jason Sullivan and Bruno Olimene will help strengthen a still youthful defense in 2003.

“(Sullivan) will be a solid defender for us next year and a leader on the field,” Roy said.

Now that the freshman group has experienced the physical play that college soccer brings to the table, Roy wants them to show more initiative next year.

One of the best things a collegiate athlete can gain in his first year is experience, and this year’s freshman class got plenty of it.

“First of all, I want to say the whole freshman group did a nice job,” Roy said. “The experience they gained was invaluable.”

Roy made sure that experience wouldn’t be an issue next season, starting seven freshmen at one point during the season.

Freshmen Thomas Meiner, Tony Deldin, Steve Polkowski, Eric O’Reilly and Goletz earned praise from Roy, who said they all had solid seasons.

“Goletz stepped in and we all wish he would’ve got a save against Marshall,” Roy said. “He proved, though, that he has a solid future here.”

O’Reilly missed a crucial goal in the second round of sudden victory against Marshall, but he has a bright future in a Huskie uniform as well.

“[O’Reilly] is technically sound and is going to be a very good player,” Roy said. “His weight training was very valuable.”

On defense, Deldin got better as the season went on, and though Meiner had to make some early adjustments, Roy said he finished the season strong.

NIU, finishing the season at 4-13-1, will lose five players that they it needs to replace in the offseason.

Shane McIntyre, Caleb Davis, Rasih Pala, Nick Park and Peter Agrimson all will leave, assistant coach Karsten Roy said.

Park pulled a muscle against Marshall, keeping him out of the last game.

“Nick was a leader on and off the field, and it was a shame he wasn’t able to play,” Roy said.

Roy stressed that for the team to be successful next season, it needs to work more on its game in the offseason.

“The team has to realize that soccer must be played all 12 months of the year,” Roy said. “Jobs are no excuses. They still should have time to hook up with a club team in the offseason to help prepare them for the upcoming year.”