After spending a month in the penthouse of the Mid-American Conference, the Bobcats are heading to the basement.
Victor E. Court in DeKalb, Ill., may only seat 800 people, but Ohio coach Ryan Theis said it might be the most difficult environment his team has had to face.
Northern Illinois begins a two-week, four-match home stand in second place in the MAC West Division.
The Huskies sit one game behind Western Michigan, and the Bobcats are looking to be rude house guests.
(Northern Illinois) plays in a really constricted gym
Theis said. The band is right there and in timeouts you have to go (to) the other side of the floor because you can't hear anything.
It will be a good measuring stick.
Ohio (16-4
8-0 MAC) has been red-hot since conference play opened
but even with a good start
its East Division lead is only two games.
The home team is playing pretty well
too. The Huskies have won five straight matches and are one of the MAC's best teams.
Eight games into their MAC schedule
the Bobcats are away from The Convocation Center for the next four matches and have a different challenge ahead.
And as the wins accumulate
expectations have increased. Earlier in the week
Theis described his 16-4 team as staying alive.
Teams like Western Michigan have been waiting awhile for the Bobcats
Theis said
