Saying that it’s more than just a game would be a stretch in this situation.

Tonight’s NIU–Oregon State men’s soccer match could have implications of revenge, payback and retribution, but it doesn’t. It’s just one game.

Last summer, former Huskies head coach Steve Simmons accepted the same position with the Beavers, where he was associate coach from 2001-02.

“I’m happy for him,” said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi. “At the end of the day, the guy is a very good friend of mine and it was a great opportunity. It was the chance of a lifetime for him. He didn’t really have a choice, I don’t think. I was happy for him, and I was certainly happy that I would potentially have an opportunity to step in here and fortunate enough that Jeff gave me that chance.”

Simmons helped NIU to a 59-47-13 record while he had the reigns, and coached the Huskies during the 2006 season, in which they won the MAC Championship and went to the NCAA tournament and won a game. He also notched two of the biggest victories in the program’s history defeating No. 9 Northwestern in 2007 and No. 2 SMU last season.

When it came time to sit players down for the explanation, it came as a surprise to most of the players.

“I was shocked,” said senior defender Josh Karsten. “I really didn’t see it coming. He called us in for a meeting, and I thought it was just to get a feeling of the team over the summer, and then he sat us down and told us that he was leaving. So it was kind of a shock more than upset.”

Motivation to get the win does not lie with getting revenge, but it’s the motivation that the team has every single game.

“I think that there is extra motivation because he is our ex-coach, but at the same time, we’ve got to take it like it’s any other game,” said senior midfielder Luis De La Cerda. “It’s the most important game of the season because it’s our next game.”

Emotions will be high, but everyone will be set on controlling them.

“There is no time for conflicting emotions when you’re on the field because good teams can end you in a second,” said senior midfielder Aaron Zendejas. “Personally, I think that in a situation like this, emotions are best left to decipher in retrospect. We should not be toying with them now. There should only be one thing on our minds; it’s not just our next game, it’s the only game we can see. We need to get what we came for, and try to pull lessons from ourselves later.”

Not only was this an opportunity of a lifetime for Simmons, but this was a chance for him to return to where it all began for him, and most importantly his family.

“It was a hard decision, but in the end the biggest factor was family,” Simmons said. “Our entire family is from this area in Oregon, and I’ve been away for six years in the Chicago area. It was an opportunity to be closer to family.”

In a game where anyone would expect bad blood, there will be none. There’s just two sides with mutual respect for each other.

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