DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University men’s tennis team dropped just 12 total games in its four singles match wins as the Huskies improved to 3-2 on the season with a 5-2 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Chick Evans Field House.

NIU won the doubles points and the singles matches at three through six as the Huskies improved to a perfect 3-0 at Chick Evans Field House.

“The bottom of our line-up carried us today,” said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. “Georg, Kevin, Austin and Erich all played some really good tennis today. I was really happy to see Kevin, Austin and Erich get going today because we will need them to play important roles this year and they came through in pressure moments today when the match was all knotted up at 2-2. They dominated and played with big-time spirit and emotion.”

In doubles play, the Huskies swept all three matches with sophomores Kevin Daun (Vasteras, Sweden/Widenska Gymnasiet Idrottscollege) and Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) picking up a 6-4 win at number one, junior Carlos Manzanas (Madrid, Spain/IES Principe Felipe) and sophomores Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) claiming a 6-4 win at number two and freshman Erich Schuette (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and sophomore Austin Russell (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) earning a 6-3 victory at number three.

Lundkvist maintained his perfect 5-0 singles mark with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Rui Silva at number three but the Panthers took the matches at one and two, evening the dual at 2-2.

In the final three singles matches, the Huskies went 3-for-3 to top Eastern Illinois. Schuette dropped just two games in picking up a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Jacob Wendell at six. Russell took the first set from Ognjen Jevtic, 6-3, before blanking him in the second, 6-0, to win at number five. Daun was also a 6-3 first set victor over Grant Reiman at four before cruising to a 6-1 win in the second set.

NIU will return to action next Friday, Feb. 5, when the Huskies face Southern Illinois and Chicago State at Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford.

NIU 5, Eastern Illinois 2

Doubles
1. Kevin Daun/Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Robert Skolik/Rui Silva (EIU), 6-4
2. Carlos Manzanas/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Ryan Henderson/Ognjen Jevtic (EIU), 6-4
3. Erich Schuette/Austin Russell (NIU) def. Grant Reiman/Jared Woodson (EIU), 6-3

Singles
1. Robert Skolik (EIU) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU), 6-0, 6-4
2. Ryan Henderson (EIU) def. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU), 6-3, 6-0
3. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Rui Silva (EIU), 6-2, 6-1
4. Kevin Daun (NIU) def. Grant Reiman, 6-3, 6-1
5. Austin Russell (NIU) def. Ognjen Jevtic (EIU), 6-3, 6-0
6. Erich Schuette (NIU) def. Jacob Wendell (EIU), 6-1, 6-1