DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team claimed its second consecutive Mid-American Conference regular season championship with a 5-2 victory at Buffalo on Sunday to close the regular season. With the win, the Huskies improve to 18-5 on the season, 4-1 in MAC play.

"Obviously this is a great day for this young team," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "I'm happy for Fred (Cadieux), our only senior, to win another MAC Championship, making it three in four years, which is just remarkable. I know we have had many great players come through NIU, but none have won like Fred playing top-three his last three years, winning 95 singles matches in just three-and-a-half years, no question he is a slam dunk for NIU Hall of Fame.

"I thought we came out flat and scared in doubles and after I got on our guys to step up and fight back they responded. We are looking forward to the tournament, we have nothing to lose, we were not expected to win (the regular season) every team in the tournament was picked ahead of us so go into the tournament without any pressure on us."

The Huskies fell behind early, dropping the doubles point on a tiebreaker in the match at number one. Freshman Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) and senior Frederic Cadieux (Verdun, Quebec, Canada/Ediuard-Montpetit) were victorious at number two, 6-4, while Buffalo's Damien David and Akhil Mehta were 6-1 winners at number three.

The doubles point came down to number one where Buffalo's Sergio Arevalillo and Jonathan Hannestad outlasted freshmen Kevin Daun    (Vasteras, Sweden/Widenska Gymnasiet Idrottscollege) and Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun), 7-6 (4).

Buffalo took a 2-0 lead as David defeated junior Simon Formont (Orléans, France/Lycée Camille Claudel) at number two singles, 6-2, 7-5.

NIU rallied to win all five of the remaining singles matches, beginning with a 7-5, 6-4 victory by sophomore Carlos Manzanas (Madrid, Spain/IES Principe Felipe) at number five. The victory was Manzanas' sixth consecutive win, and his 21st of the season.

Hamel then earned his 20th win of the season with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Sebastian Ionescu at number three as the Huskies pulled even, 2-2. Lundkvist put the Huskies in front for the first time with a three-set, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, win at number six over Sergio Arevalillo.

The Huskies clinched the match victory, and the conference regular season crown, on Cadieux's 7-6, 6-4 win over Pablo Alvarez at number one, Cadieux's 17th singles win of the season and the 95th of his NIU career, moving him into the top-five in school history.

Freshman Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) finished the match with a 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-2 win over Jonathan Hannestad at number four.

NIU will host the 2015 MAC Men's Tennis Championship beginning on Friday, April 24, when the Huskies will meet Buffalo, who earned the tournament's fourth seed, for the second time in six days. The match between the Huskies and Bulls is scheduled for 10 a.m.

NIU 5, Buffalo 2

Doubles
No. 1: Sergio Arevalillo/Jonathan Hannestad (UB) def. Kevin Daun/Georg Lundkvist (NIU), 7-6 (4)
No. 2: Louis-Philippe Hamel/Frederic Cadieux (NIU) def. Amar Hromic/Pablo Alvarez (UB), 6-4
No. 3: Damien David/Akhil Mehta (UB) def. Simon Formont/Carlos Manzanas (NIU), 6-1

Order of finish: 3, 2, 1

Singles
No. 1: Frederic Cadieux (NIU) def. Pablo Alvarez (UB), 7-6, 6-4
No. 2: Damien David (UB) def. Simon Formont (NIU), 6-2, 7-5
No. 3: Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Sebastian Ionescu (UB), 6-4, 6-4
No. 4: Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Jonathan Hannestad (UB), 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-2
No. 5: Carlos Manzanas (NIU) def. Amar Hromic (UB), 7-5, 6-4
No. 6: Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Sergio Arevalillo (UB), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Order of finish: 2, 5, 3, 6, 1, 4