NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara men’s soccer team (2-6-1, 0-1 in MAAC) resumes conference play this weekend when it hosts Marist on Friday and Siena on Sunday. The Purple Eagles’ match with Marist kicks off at 3 p.m., while Sunday’s showdown with Siena takes place at 1 p.m.

Following Saturday’s disappointing 3-0 loss to crosstown rival Canisius, Niagara looks to return to the win column this weekend. In NU’s match against the Golden Griffins, 11 players took shots, including every starter in a field position. Niagara, which leads the MAAC in shots-per-game averaging nearly 14 attempts an outing, has had its chances to score, but the Purple Eagles have been unable to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. NU is averaging 1.00 goals-per-game, which is below its 2006 average of 1.39.

Juniors Matthew Durand (Melbourne, Australia) and Stephen Kauble (Canal Winchester, Ohio) are tied for the team lead with six points on three goals each. In all, Niagara has had 10 players record at least a point this season, including a pair of defenders in juniors Billy Gustafson (Rochester, N.Y.) and Anthony DiBiase (Richmond Hill, Ont.). Both Gustafson and DiBiase have notched assists on set plays.

On defense, Niagara tops the nation in saves behind sophomore John Fiutowski (Ottawa, Ont.), who is averaging 8.33 saves per game. In nine games this season, Fiutowski’s 75 saves have already eclipsed last year’s total, and he is on pace to surpass NU’s single-season save record of 134 held by Josh Meyer. Meanwhile, Fiutowski’s career-high 13 saves against St. Bonaventure on Sept. 13, ties for the third-highest single-game total in the NCAA this season.

Niagara opens the weekend with Marist (3-5-2, 0-1-1 in MAAC), a team that has played three overtime games this season. The Red Foxes are 1-0-2 in overtime matches, including a 1-1 tie with Rider last weekend. Corey Perkins leads the team with four goals, while three different goalkeepers have split time in net. Marist is 9-2 all-time against Niagara, however the Purple Eagles picked up a 3-2 win in Poughkeepsie in 2006.

Fiutowski will have his hands full against Siena (4-5-2, 1-1-0 in MAAC), as the Saints lead the MAAC in shots with 134 attempts. Siena is coming off a 1-0 victory over Rider and is led by Jason Laffin, who has eight points on a pair of goals and four assists. The last time the two teams met, Niagara defeated the Saints 3-1, while Siena leads the all-time series 12-5-1.