DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team will host Oakland on Thursday evening, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex in the First Round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament. The Huskies earned an automatic bid into the tournament as the champions of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. 

This marks the fourth time in program history that NIU has earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament and the third time that the Huskies will host a first round game. NIU previously made the tournament in 1973, 2006 and 2011, hosting first round contest in 2006 against Loyola-Chicago and 2011 against Western Illinois. 

NIU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 14-2-2 overall record and as regular season and tournament champions of the MAC. The Huskies won the MAC Tournament on Sunday (Nov. 14) with a 2-1 double overtime victory over Georgia State as Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scored his nation's best 16th goal of the season in the 105th minute to lift the Huskies to the victory. 

Nick Markanich was named the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais), Pepe Martinez (Sant antoni de vilamajor, Spain/Western Michigan) and Roque Viegas Jr. (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Syracuse).

Oakland comes to DeKalb with a 12-6-2 overall record and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament as the champions of the Horizon League Tournament, defeating Cleveland State, 3-1, in the final. Mikey Ketteman leads the Golden Grizzlies with 10 goals while Noah Jensen has a team-high 26 points. Oakland led the Horizon League, and ranks 34th nationally, averaging 1.95 goals per game. 

Tickets for Thursday's first round contest will be $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and students from participating schools with a valid ID. All seating is general admission. 

The winner of NIU's first round matchup against Oakland will advance to face No. 5 seed Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 21, in the Steel City. Game time is to be determined. 

NIU's All-Time NCAA Tournament Games
Nov. 11, 1973 (Second Round): SIU Edwardsville 3, NIU 0 (at SIU Edwardsville)
Nov. 11, 2006 (First Round): NIU 1, Loyola-Chicago 0 (ot) (at NIU)
Nov. 15, 2006 (Second Round): No. 7 seed Indiana, 1, NIU 0 (at Indiana)
Nov. 17, 2011 (First Round): NIU 3, Western Illinois 0 (at NIU)
Nov. 20, 2011 (Second Round): No 2 seed Creighton 3, NIU 0 (at Creighton)