NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara men’s soccer team returns to the friendly confines of Niagara Field this weekend in hopes of continuing its three-game unbeaten streak. The Purple Eagles face Saint Peter’s on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m., before battling Manhattan Sunday at noon.

Niagara (4-7-2, 2-2-1 MAAC) has won its last two matches, including a 3-2 victory over Fairfield, the first time in the program’s history that NU has defeated the Stags.

Junior Matthew Durand played a large roll in NU’s historical win over Fairfield. The forward from Melbourne, Australia, scored all three goals, giving the forward his first career hat trick and the first three-goal performance by a Purple Eagle this season. It marked the first time a Niagara player has recorded three goals in a game since Sept. 13, 2006. With the three goals, Durand now has 12 points on the season and is tied with junior Stephen Kauble (Canal Winchester, Ohio) for the team lead.

Junior Levi Tesch (Wolcott, N.Y.) has also come on strong as of late. Tesch scored Niagara’s only goal in its 1-0 win over Iona and assisted on Durand’s first two goals against Fairfield. Although Tesch did not record a point in Niagara’s first seven games, the central midfielder has played an integral role in Niagara’s attack and has been involved in three of Niagara’s last four goals. With five points on the season, Tesch sits third on the team in scoring.

Niagara has made some changes on the defensive end and the alterations appear to be paying off as Niagara is unbeaten in its last three games. Senior Jason Whitehead (Middletown, N.Y.) has emerged as Niagara’s starting goalkeeper and after playing in only three games as a junior, Whitehead made his first starts of the 2007 season in Niagara’s last two games. He recorded his first career shut out in NU’s win over Iona and tied his career high with five saves. He also started in Niagara’s win over Fairfield, posting two saves before leaving the game with an injury in the 74th minute. On the season, Whitehead has seen action in three games, making eight saves in 208:44 of action.

But don’t count out sophomore John Fiutowski (Ottawa, Ont.), who has started 12 games and recorded a shutout in Niagara’s 1-0 in over St. Francis. Fiutowski sits fourth in the nation with an average of 6.92 saves per game. On the season, he has posted 83 saves, just 14 shy of fifth-place on Niagara’s single-season charts. Meanwhile, his career-high 13 saves against St. Bonaventure on Sept. 13, ties for the fifth-highest single-game total in the NCAA this season.

Freshman Matt Hynes (Rochester, N.Y.) continues to make a mark on the Purple Eagle backline. Hynes broke into the starting lineup against Marist on Oct. 12, and continues to hold on to the right back position. Hynes has seen action in eight of Niagara’s 13 games and has started the last four.

However, when Niagara faces Saint Peter’s (10-3-1, 3-1-1 MAAC) on Friday, the Purple Eagles will have their work cut out for them. The Peacocks are ranked third in the latest NSCAA North Atlantic Region poll and are tied with Fairfield for third in the MAAC. Saint Peter’s leads the all-time series 8-6-4, including a 3-0 win last season.

Meanwhile, Manhattan (2-10-2, 0-4-1) has struggled offensively and is winless in conference play. When the two teams met last season, Niagara earned a 2-0 victory, but the Purple Eagles still trail in the all-time series 5-10-2. Niagara’s match with Manhattan will also mark the final home game for senior Duffy Dunnigan (Getzville, N.Y.). The game will be broadcast on a tape delay basis by LCTV and air later Sunday night at 7 p.m. on cable channel 20.