MERCYHURST (3-8-4, 3-3-1 NEC) vs FDU (9-4-3, 5-1-1 NEC)
Thursday, Nov. 6 – 1:00 p.m.
Erie, Pa.
TV: NEC Front Row 
 
MERCYHURST (3-8-4, 3-3-1 NEC) at NEW HAVEN (4-5-5, 2-2-2 NEC) 
Sunday, Nov. 9 – 1:00 p.m.
West Haven, Conn.  
TV: NEC Front Row
 
The Mercyhurst men's soccer team currently sits in fifth place in the NEC men's soccer standings. With two games to play, they are still the hunt for one of the final two spots to qualify for postseason play. This is the Lakers first season eligible for the NEC Tournament. 

The Lakers host FDU Thursday, Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m. Their regular season finale will take place at the home of NEC newcomers New Haven on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1:00 p.m. Viewers can find live coverage of both matches on the NEC Front Row. 
 
Current Run of Form 
Mercyhurst is 3-8-4 overall and 3-3-1 in the NEC. The Lakers are unbeaten in their last three matches on the bounce. On Tuesday, Oct. 21 they hosted Cleveland State and played the Horizon League regular season champions to a 2-2 draw. On Sunday, Oct 26 they went to Chicago State and toppled the Cougars 4-1. This past Sunday, the Lakers hosted the CCSU Blue Devils. The first held ended 0-0, but the Lakers found a spark and won 3-1 after full time. 

Saint Francis and FDU have already qualified for the NEC Tournament. LIU is in third with 15 points, Stonehill is in fourth with 12 points. Mercyhurst currently sits in fifth with 10 points. However, Stonehill and LIU play each other on Nov. 9. Mercyhurst also has a game in hand as they play Nov. 6 and 9. If the Lakers can win their final two, their postseason chances increase drastically. Another possible outcome is for the Lakers to win one and lose/tie another, but only if Stonehill drops their final game. 
 
Lakers to Look Out for
Alvar Silva continues to provide goal-scoring opportunities for the Lakers this season. Silva has scored two goals, leads the team with six assists, and is second on the team in shots with 21. The Barcelona native is on an impressive run of form as he has four assists and a goal in the Laker's last two matches. 

Santiago Giraldo recently was named the NEC Rookie of the Week and an NEC Prime Performer for his outstanding performance against CCSU this past Sunday. Giraldo scored two goals in less than ten minutes in the second half of the match. The Colombian native is the joint-leading scorer on the team with three. 

Benjamin Buckley and Mario Ganser have been holding down the backline as of late. Buckley is the joint-leading scorer for the Lakers with three. The Irish native has been dangerous on set pieces, scoring two headers from corners and firing home an incredible free kick against Cleveland State. Ganser is one of two Lakers to start and play in all 15 matches for the Lakers, logging a team-high 1,272 minutes. The Austrian native also has two goals, both from converting penalties against Howard on Senior Day.

Gonzalo Onrubia has started in goal for 10 of the Laker's 15 matches. Onrubia recorded nine saves and a clean sheet against LIU and was named an NEC Prime Performer for his efforts. Since then, he has tallied five or more saves in four of his last seven matches. Most recently, the Getafe native registered eight saves in a 3-1 win against CCSU. 
 
Scouting FDU

• The Knights are 9-4-3 overall and 5-1-1 in NEC play. 
• They opened the season by playing UAlbany to a 1-1 draw.   
• They won their next three in-a-row as they beat NJIT 1-0, Saint Peter's 4-1, and Siena 2-1. 
• Their first losses of the season came in back-to-back games at St. John's and Seton Hall.
• They shutout their first three NEC opponents, CCSU 4-0, New Haven 1-0, and Chicago State 4-0. 
• Their only NEC loss was a 1-0 defeat at Saint Francis. 
• Throughout the season, they have been ranked in the United Soccer Coaches' Northeast Region Poll. 
• They came in at seventh in the most recent Northeast region poll on Nov. 4.
• Arnau Rabassa Guillamon currently leads the Knight's offensive contributions with seven goals and two assists. 
• Takuto Nishide has tallied the most assists with five. 

Scouting New Haven 

• The Chargers are 4-5-5 on the season and 2-2-2 in conference play.  
• They, like FDU, had an impressive start to their season. 
• They opened with two road victories, Monmouth 2-1 and Providence 1-0.
• Then, they drew their next matches: Dartmouth 1-1, Syracuse 0-0, and George Washington 0-0. 
• Their first loss was not until Sept. 23 where Quinnipiac defeated them 3-0.
• They opened conference play with a 4-2 win over Howard. 
• Their only other conference win was a 2-1 Senior Day win over CCSU.
• The Chargers leading scorers are Lukian Lawro (4) and Guilherme Meira (3). 
• Andres Lazo has registered the most assists with three.