BOSTON --Â The Northeastern men's soccer team looks to snap a three-game losing skid on Wednesday night when the Huskies travel to Wilmington, N.C. for the regular season finale against UNCW.
Last time out
Five shots on goal were not enough for the Northeastern men's soccer team to get past College of Charleston as it fell 1-0 to the Cougars on Senior Night at Parsons Field on Saturday. Before the start of Saturday night's match, the Huskies (6-7-3, 3-2-1 CAA) honored their five seniors:
Laurence Braude,
Jonathan Eckford,
Nikko Lara,
Dante Marini, and
Conner Alexander.
Playoff push
The Huskies have reached the end of the regular season, and there's still a lot to be decided on the final day of the season. There are 27 different scenarios for the final regular season standings, with the Huskies a finishing anywhere from first to sixth in the conference.
NU has already secured a playoff spot in the conference tournament for the second straight season, and seventh time since joining the league in 2005. The Huskies are looking to defend its 2012 CAA tournament title, which was the first in the history of the program.
An NU win on Wednesday, along with other results from teams around the CAA, would guarantee the Huskies a first, second or third place finish in the regular season standings.
Looking for a spark
The Northeastern offense has had trouble putting the ball in the net in recent games, being shutout in each of the last three matches. The last time NU lost three straight games while being shutout was at the start of the 2007 season.
Nothing better than clean sheets
Sophomore goalkeeper
Dylan Faber and the Northeastern defense, meanwhile, have held its opponents to just four goals in the last six matches, including three straight shutouts, seeing its goals against average plummet to 0.84 (first in the CAA). Faber, who was named the CAA Player of the Week earlier this season, is leading the conference in both goals against average (0.77) and save percentage (.815), while fourth in the league in saves (53) and second in shutouts (six).
The Huskies have held its opponents to one goal or less in 12 of 16 matches this season. Northeastern is first in the CAA and 40th in the nation with a goals against average of 0.84, and 36th in the country in save percentage (.808).
Marini climbing the charts
Senior captain
Dante Marini is having a strong season for the Huskies, leading the team with 15 points (five goals, five assists) in 16 games played, including seven points in his last seven games. On Sept. 7, the Chadds Ford, Pa. native set new career-highs in assists (two) and points (four) against Fairfield. Marini is NU's active leader in career points (43) on 13 goals and 17 assists, which is ninth all-time at Northeastern. He is also fourth all-time in career assists.
Marini has been the face of the Northeastern midfield during his career on Huntington Avenue, having started the previous 57 matches dating back to the end of his freshman season.
Carter coming into his own
After missing a pair of matches late last month, sophomore forward
Terence Carter has returned in a big way. The London, England native has two goals in his last seven games, and is second on the team this season with eight points (four goals).
Carter has scored his goals at the right time, as well, with two of his four tallies standing as the eventual game-winners.
Pair of firsts
Oct. 16 against Delaware saw freshman
Christian McKenna tally his first collegiate goal in the 22nd minute against the Blue Hens. His teammate,
Matt Callahan, supplied McKenna with the pass that led to the goal for Callahan's first career assist.
In total, six different Huskies (Callahan,
Devin Devoy,
Marc Greenblatt,
Mike Lobben, McKenna,
Robbie Schallmo) have tallied their first collegiate points this season.
Scouting the Seahawks
The UNCW Seahawks are 8-5-2 overall, and their 3-2-1 CAA record is identical to that of Northeastern. UNCW is 2-0-1 in its last three matches after tying William & Mary at home last time out on Nov. 2. The all-time series between the Seahawks and Huskies has been a close one; each team has a record of 4-4-2 and the last six games have either been decided by a single goal or ended in a tie. NU took the last decision at home on Oct. 20, 2012 by a score of 2-1.
Redshirt-sophomore midfielder David Sizemore leads the Seahawks in goals, with four scores for eight points. Sophomore forward Colin Bonner is the overall scoring leader with three goals and three assists, giving him a total of nine points.
Action in goal has been split for UNCW throughout the season. Freshman Sean Melvin has started eight of the 10 games he has appeared in, compiling a record of 5-3-1 with two shutouts. He holds a 1.28 goals against average and a .721 save percentage. Sophomore Sam Williams has played in seven matches, all starts, collecting two shutouts and going 3-2-1 with a 0.96 goals against average and a .739 save percentage.
O Captain, My Captain
Northeastern has chosen its leaders for the 2013 season. Senior
Dante Marini, along with juniors
Simon Cox and
Donovan Fayd'Herbe de Maudave will be looked upon to lead a group of Huskies who return 17 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last season's squad.
Cox enters his first season as a tri-captain, while Fayd'Herbe de Maudave and Marini also served as captains last season.
The road ahead
The CAA playoffs will commence this weekend with quarterfinal games at campus sites. Depending on Wednesday's results, the Huskies could receive a first-round bye, host a quarterfinal game or head out on the road for a quarterfinal match.
