DEKALB, Ill. – Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scored in the 84th minute, off an assist from his twin brother Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) to lift the 16th-ranked Northern Illinois University men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory 19th-ranked Akron on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 30) at the NIU Soccer Complex, clinching the Mid-American Conference regular season championship for the Huskies. 

Pepe Martinez (Sant antoni de vilamajor, Spain/Western Michigan) opened the scoring in the first half, the Zips equalized in the 64th minute before the Markanich brothers combined to give NIU its first MAC regular season crown since 2006. 

"It is a tremendous accomplishment for our team, for our program and for the athletic department to win this one," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "I'm really proud of the guys, they have been bought in all year, it comes to a head today, but throughout the season this was the goal, to win the conference regular season championship and push the season on as long as we can.

"I thought it was a great day, it was a really good game of soccer, two nationally-ranked teams and we are delighted to have come out on top."

NIU came out on the front-foot from the opening kickoff and Enrique Banuelos (Mexico City, Mexico/Virginia) nearly opened the scoring with a volley in the eighth minute, but Akron goalkeeper Will Meyer got down to his left to tip the shot out for a Huskie corner. 

Four minutes later, Meyer was whistled for handling the ball outside his box, giving the Huskies a free kick just over 18 yards from goal. Nick Markanich took the free kick, but Meyer made a good save. 

NIU made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute as Martinez scored his sixth goal of the season. Martinez collected a long ball from the back just wide left of the Akron box and dribbled inside toward the top of the 'D' before firing a shot back across his body and inside the post, beating Meyer and sending the Huskies into a frenzy. 

The Huskies were on the attack two minutes later when Nick Markanich flicked a ball over the top of an Akron defender to create space for a shot, but Meyer was able to make the save and hold on. 

In the 39th minute, Banuelos hit a low cross into the run of Nick Markanich but an Akron defender did just enough to force the Huskie forward to scuff his chance wide as NIU took a 1-0 lead into the interval. 

After the break, Akron had its best spell of the contest and Dyson Clapier nearly leveled the match with a shot from the corner of the box in the 55th minute. Clapier looked to chip a shot over the head of Huskie goalkeeper Martin Sanchez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) inside the back post, but Sanchez was able to get his fingertips to it and tip it away. 

The Zips were level in the 64th minute through Ryan Kingsford. A cross from the left by Diogo Pacheco found Kingsford near the top of the six and his first-time volley beat Sanchez from close range to draw Akron even. 

Following the Akron goal, NIU began to reclaim a hold on the contest and Banuelos fired high in the 82nd minute and then hit a free kick wide from about 30 yards a minute later. 

Nick Markanich made the NIU pressure pay off as he put NIU back in front with just over six minutes left with his 14th goal of the season. Anthony Markanich dropped a ball in behind the Akron backline and Nick Markanich latched onto it just outside the box, controlling it as he neared the penalty spot before tucking a left-footed shot just inside the post past Meyer as the Huskies, and the crowd, went berserk.

"They both look so dangerous throughout the game," said Swan of the Markanich twins. "Anthony was getting into great spots; Nick was making great runs. I don't think anyone will be too surprised that the conference championship was delivered on a pass from Anthony to his brother Nick, and what a composed finish from Nick. Well-deserved from those two, I thought they were excellent throughout the game."

In the final minutes, Akron earned a corner and Sanchez rose above a crowd near the top of the six-yard box to claim it as the Huskies improved to 12-1-2, 4-0-2 in the MAC, unbeaten in their last 12 matches and clinched the conference regular season crown. 

Meyer finished the contest with four saves for Akron, Sanchez made two stops for the Huskies. 

NIU will close the regular season on the road on Wednesday, Nov. 3, when the Huskies travel to Portland. Kickoff against the Pilots is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT. The Huskies will then host the MAC Tournament with the semifinals scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 11. Additional details about the conference tournament will be made available soon.