'Cats Kickoff Stretch of Three-Straight at Toyota Park versus Rutgers

10/14/2015 3:41:00 PM | Men's Soccer

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern men's soccer continues its four-game homestand on Friday with a match against Rutgers in Bridgeview, Ill. The Wildcats, looking to rebound from a 2-1 defeat to SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday, will be searching for their second straight Big Ten win, with a chance to move their in-conference record above .500.

The match starts at 7 p.m. at Toyota Park, the first of three straight games for Northwestern in Bridgeview.

Scouting Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights are 7-4-1 on the season and 2-3 in the Big Ten. They won their previous match, a 2-0 away victory over Penn, after beating Michigan in a 1-0 overtime match in Ann Arbor, Mich. Drew Morgan and Jason Wright scored Rutgers' two goals against Penn, marking the third straight game in which Wright found the back of the net.

Recent Results
The Wildcats are coming off a narrow 2-1 away loss to SIU-Edwardsville that included junior forward Mike Roberge's first goal of the season. Coming into the game, Northwestern had won each of its two previous contests, including a 2-1 overtime win over 13th-ranked Maryland in College Park.

A Well-Balanced Attack
Roberge's goal made him the eighth Northwestern player to score this season, while nine different players have assisted on goals. Senior forward Joey Calistri leads the team with three goals and eight points overall, while Sam Forsgren has made in impact during his sophomore campaign with a team-best three assists.

The First of Three
Friday's match marks the first of three straight games at Toyota Park for Northwestern, who had played four of five on the road before returning to Chicago to face SIU on Saturday. The 'Cats will stay in Chicago to face Loyola following the homestand before finishing up the regular season on the road against Penn State and Wisconsin. So far this season, the 'Cats are 2-2-1 at home and 3-2 in away games.