DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's soccer team will head into this week of play with a record of 3–2–0 after dropping their last match to Carthage, 1–0. Loras was ranked No. 25 in this week's D3Soccer National Poll while falling out of the NSCAA Top 25 National Poll.

MATCH PREVIEW 

Loras will open the conference portion of their schedule this week when they travel to Lincoln, Neb. to take on Nebraska Wesleyan this Saturday, Sept. 24. The Prairie Wolves enter with a record of 4–1–3 after a 2–2 draw against Concordia Nebraska earlier this week. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and fans will be able to watch live.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE PRAIRIE WOLVES 

Loras owns the upper hand against Nebraska Wesleyan with a 4–2–0 record in six meetings. The Duhawks have won the last three meetings by a combined 13–1 margin, which included a 5–0 win in 2004 and a 6–0 win in 2011.

PRAIRIE WOLVES TO WATCH OUT FOR 

Nebraska Wesleyan's offensive production primarily comes from Brady Blazek and Will Weber. Each player has 12 points this season and is tied for both the team lead and ranks fourth in the IIAC. Blazek enters with three goals and six assists while Weber has netted six winners, which leads all IIAC defenders.

PETERSON CONSISTENT IN NET FOR DUHAWKS

In his second season with the Duhawks after transferring from Valparaiso, junior goalkeeper Jacob Peterson has taken the reigns in goal and provided a consistent force in the back. Last season, Peterson finished with 58 saves and a 0.81 goals against average, which included nine shutouts. Through six games, Peterson owns a 0.80 GAA, but has conceded three goals in his last two games.

NO NEED TO PANIC FOR DUHAWKS 

In 2015, the Loras dropped consecutive games on the road against DePauw and Western Illinois in September, which is close to a similar position that the Duhawks find themselves in now after losses to St. Norbert and Carthage. With the loss of 14 seniors from last year's roster that won 14 of it's next 17 games, some growing pains were inevitable entering the season. Head coach Dan Rothert and his staff have been hard at work to bring the new personnel into the fold and prepare them for the gauntlet that is thrown at them every time the step out onto the pitch.

NEW DUHAWKS MAKING AN IMPACT

The class of 2020 has logged significant minutes for the men's soccer program this season. Freshmen Mark Histed and Anthony Berardi have earned their place in the starting 11, having been a starter in each match. Overall, the freshmen class has combined for 23 shots, seven of which were on goal. Needless to say, head coach Dan Rothert is taking advantage of the young and fresh talent on his roster, which he expects to pay its dividends as the season continues.

JACOBI TRANSITIONS INTO NEW ROLE

After playing as an attacking forward for his entire soccer career, senior Austin Jacobi has taken on a new role for the Duhawks this season, moving into a marking back role. In his first three seasons as a Duhawk, Jacobi tallied seven goals and four assists, which included three trips to the NCAA Tournament and two trips to the Final Four. Despite the stat sheet looking slimmer for Jacobi compared to years past, his ability to stifle opposing forwards has been a welcome addition to the defensive corps.

IMPORTANCE OF CONFERENCE PLAY 

The non-conference slate for a team provides an opportunity to prepare for the most crucial contests, those against conference opponents. For Loras, who enters as having won the Iowa Conference 10 times, including each of the last four seasons, the simplest way to the NCAA Tournament is by earning the automatic bid in the tournament. A strong finish in the conference table puts the Duhawks in a position to host conference tournament games, which naturally offers a significant advantage.