FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IUPUI men's soccer team will close out its regular season on Wednesday (Nov. 1) when the Jaguars face Purdue Fort Wayne (6-5-3, 3-3-2 HL) at 2:00 p.m. at Hefner Soccer Complex. IUPUI has already captured a spot in the upcoming six-team Horizon League Tournament, but Wednesday's game has major seeding implications for both sides. 

The Jaguars could finish as high as the No. 1 seed and the regular season champion, or could finish as low as No. 5 and be forced to go on the road in the quarterfinals round of the league tournament. IUPUI is currently locked in a three-way tie for second place with 14 points. 

IUPUI played Milwaukee to a critical 1-1 draw at Carmel's Murray Stadium on Saturday as Josemir Gomez deposited a late equalizer to earn a result. Graduate student Lucas Morefield was brilliant in goal, stopping a first half penalty kick and making a second incredible diving save in the second half to keep things interesting. Gomez' goal came on the end of a set piece as Lukas Hackaa and Kenshiro Yamaguchi both earned assists on the header score. 

For the year, Hackaa and Gomez have a team-high seven goals and Logan Finnegan has four tallies from his forward position. Morefield has ranked among the league's best keepers in league play, authoring a league-high three shutouts and 0.77 goals against average. 

SCOUTING PURDUE FORT WAYNE
PFW is 6-5-3 on the year and 3-3-2 in Horizon League games. The Mastodons have outscored opponents by a 22-19 margin and blanked three opponents, using three different goalkeepers. Seth Mahlmeister leads the Mastodon attack with nine goals and 53 shot attempts while Soshi Fujioka has a goal and team-high eight assists. In goal, Danny Salazar has started eight of the team's 14 games, registering a 3-2-2 record with 1.20 goals against average and .679 save percentage. 

AGAINST THE 'DONS
IUPUI is 16-15-1 all-time against Purdue Fort Wayne, but just 6-10 in 16 meetings in Fort Wayne. IUPUI hasn't won in Fort Wayne since a 2-1 victory in 2010, having since dropped five consecutive road contests in the series. The Jaguars won last year's meeting in Westfield at Grand Park, 3-1. 

UP NEXT
IUPUI will compete in the 2023 Horizon League Tournament - that's about all they know. The opening round site and opponent will be determined following Wednesday's league wide slate.