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Looking for their first win in conference play this season, the Niagara men's soccer team battles the Canisius Golden Griffins on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The Purple Eagles will look to take three points in MAAC standings and two points in the annual Battle of the Bridge series in Buffalo at 7 p.m. Wednesday's game can be seen live on ESPN3.

Purple Points

• After Niagara battled to a 1-1 draw against rival St. Bonaventure on Sept. 20, they opened conference play last Saturday, Sept. 30, falling to the Quinnipiac Bobcats 2-0.
• Senior goaltender Steve Casey made four saves in the loss against Quinnipiac. His 4.2 saves per game have him currently tied for fourth in the MAAC in that category.
• Zulfikar Karimi has led the team offensive this season, leading the team in points (five), shots (17), and shots on goal (nine). He is tied with Asante Carroll in goals with two apiece.
• The Purple Eagles will be looking for their first win in the Battle of the Bridge since 2013. Niagara and Canisius have finished with a 0-0 draw in two of the last three matchups in the series, including last season's matchup at Niagara Field.

Battle of the Bridge

• The Battle of the Bridge is an all-sports competition between Niagara and Canisius which enters its twelfth season in 2017-18.
• The bridge referred to in "Battle of the Bridge" is the Grand Island Bridge, which both teams must cross to get to each other's campuses.
• The winner of the Battle of the Bridge is awarded the Canal Cup.
• The winner is determined by a points system in which points are awarded to the winner of regular-season contests. Cross country, golf and swimming and diving are awarded points based upon the MAAC Championship standings.
• If there is a tie in total points at the end of the season, the Canal Cup stays in the possession of the school that won the previous season's battle.
• Canisius has claimed the Canal Cup the last seven seasons (2010-17).
• There are a total of 33 points available to be earned. For both men's and women's soccer, the annual Battle of the Bridge match is worth two points.

Across the Pitch
Canisius Golden Griffins (7-2-1, 1-0-1 MAAC)

• After kicking off MAAC play with a 2-2 draw against Siena on Sept. 27, the Golden Griffins defeated Fairfield on Sept. 30, 3-2.
• Canisius currently leads the MAAC in multiple categories, including shots per game (15.7), points per game (7.8), goals per game (2.5) and assists per game (2.8).
• Troy Brady is first across the conference in goals (seven) and points (16) this season. His three game-winning goals also have him tied for most in the MAAC.
• Midfielder Melvin Blair, who was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Team, is currently lead the team and is second in the MAAC in shots per game (2.88)
• The Golden Griffins will look for their second straight victory at home in the series, most recently defeating the Purple Eagles at the Demske Sports Complex 2-0 back in 2015.

Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for men's soccer updates, follow @NiagaraSoccer. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.