NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara men’s soccer team hits the road for its final two regular season games when it faces Rider on Friday at 3 p.m., before taking on Loyola Sunday at 1 p.m. Niagara (5-8-2, 3-3-1 MAAC) has won three of its last four matches and enters the weekend with an aim at claiming one of the top six seeds in the conference tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Nov. 13-18. Although all 10 teams qualify for the tournament, the top six teams receive a bye in the first round of the championship.

The Purple Eagles have played some of their best soccer on the road, and own a 3-3-1 record away from home but are only 2-5-1 when playing at Niagara Field. However after several lineup adjustments, NU seems to have found the right combination as the team has played some of its best soccer in October.

Several players have stepped up their play recently, as six different Purple Eagles have scored Niagara’s last eight goals, including junior Zach Scholla (Angelica, N.Y.), who recorded his first career goal in Niagara’s, 2-1, win over Manhattan. Junior Joe Skinner (Baldwinsville, N.Y) also recorded a goal against Manhattan, tallying the game winner with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. The goal was Skinner’s second of the season, giving him a career-high five points in 2007.

Junior Miles Patterson (Landsdale, Pa.) has also been an offensive spark for the Purple Eagles. After playing in 10 games as a sophomore, Patterson has played in every game this season and has started the last five. He assisted on Skinner’s game-winning goal against Manhattan after a terrific run down the left flank, and also scored Niagara’s only goal against Siena to tie the game at 1-1.

Senior Jason Whitehead (Middletown, N.Y.) has emerged as Niagara’s starting goalkeeper, and after playing in only three games as a junior, Whitehead has started NU’s last four games. He recorded his first career shut out in NU’s win over Iona, and set a career high with seven saves in the Purple Eagles’ 2-1 victory over Manhattan. On the season, Whitehead has seen action in five games, posting 21 saves in 393:32 of action.

Additionally, 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. He has proven to be a steadying influence and made several key tackles against Saint Peter’s, including an important clearance near the end of the second half, helping send the game into overtime. Hynes has seen action in 10 of Niagara’s 15 games and has started the last six.

Against Rider (5-9-2, 0-5-2), Niagara faces a team that has lost four of its five conference games by a single goal. The only exception is a 3-0 loss to Loyola on Oct. 27. The Broncs opened league play with a 1-1 tie at Marist and followed with three-straight 1-0 losses to Siena, Iona and Fairfield, before falling 4-3 in overtime to Saint Peter’s. Niagara is 4-5-1 all-time against Rider, including last year’s 1-1 tie.

Loyola (13-3-0, 6-1-0), which occupies the top spot in the MAAC standings, has shut out every conference opponent but Saint Peter’s, which handed the Greyhounds their only loss in league play, a 4-0 defeat on Oct. 21. Niagara is 2-15-0 all-time against Loyola, with one of the wins coming last year when Niagara defeated the Greyhounds 1-0.