The battle for the postseason heats up as the Milwaukee men's soccer team plays its final road matches of the regular season this week. The first is a quick step out of league play to take on state-rival Wisconsin Tuesday. The second is a huge game for the team Saturday, traveling to battle IUPUI.

The Panthers have seven standings points (2-4-1/tied for 8th) and will need to be at their best over the final two matches of the season to make up ground and reach the postseason. That march starts Saturday against the Jaguars, who are currently in second place with 13 points (4-2-1).

Tuesday's action will start at 7 p.m. and can be seen live on Big Ten Network Plus. On Saturday, the contest will kickoff at 2 p.m. CST and actually be played at Carmel High School in Carmel, Ind. (about 30 minutes away from IUPUI campus) due to the Indiana High School state tournament being played at the Jags regular home facility. Due to that adjustment, no video stream will be available. However, both contests will have live statistics available and all links are on the Milwaukee website.

The in-state series with the Badgers dates back to 1974, with the Panthers trailing by a slim 18-20-9 ledger. Wisconsin has had the upper hand in recent history, claiming wins in nine of the last 15 (5-2-3 mark the past 10). However, Milwaukee has stemmed the tide recently, going 2-1-2 the past five including a 2-1 victory last fall. The series has been highly-contested - four of the MKE losses since 2009 have been 1-0 defeats and three others have resulted in double-overtime draws - including a 1-1 affair in Madison in Fall of 2018.

Milwaukee is 5-1-2 all-time against IUPUI, with the majority coming since the Jags joined the Horizon League and includes a 2-2 draw last fall after the Panthers trailed 2-0 at intermission. MKE is also 2-0-2 the past four.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
WISCONSIN: The Badgers are coming off a 6-6-4 campaign a year ago that saw them go 3-4-1 in Big Ten play before being eliminated on PK's against Rutgers in the first round of the league tournament. The team was pegged sixth in the league preseason poll and head coach Neil Jones in his second season at the helm of UW.

The squad enters play this weekend at 5-4-5 (2-2-3 B10) but have played well at home, going 4-1-3. The team got off to its best start since 2011 and at one point were ranked nationally. The offense has been limited to 13 goals in 14 games, led by three players with six points, including Mitchell Dryden who has a team-best three goals. The defense has been stellar, with Nate Crockford playing all 1,260 minutes to date. He has recorded a .720 save percentage and carries a 1.00 goals-against average and has posted seven shutouts.

IUPUI: The Jaguars were 7-7-6 a year ago where they fell in the final of the Horizon League Tournament. The Jags returned eight starters from a year ago, including All-Horizon League honorees Edgar Correia, Josemir Gomez and Lukas Hackaa. Hackaa led the team with 25 points (8G, 9A) last season, leading the league in assists and ranking second in points. They were picked second in the preseason poll.

This season, the team started last week in first place in the league and is currently second at 4-2-1 after falling to Green Bay (2-1), part of a 6-6-3 overall mark. In league play, IUPUI has outscored foes by an 11-6 margin as Logan Finnegan has scored a team-high four goals in his six games. The Jaguars' 0.86 goals against average in league play is tops in the league. Hackaa has a team-best 17 points (7G/3A) to rank third overall in the league. In goal, Lucas Morefield has been the starter in 12 of 15 games, posting a 1.78 GAA and .611 save percentage to go along with three shutouts.

BEST OF LUCK SENIORS!
The program recognized the graduating class in a pregame ceremony against Northern Kentucky Octa. 21. Not all members of the class are listed as seniors on the roster due to redshirt and COVID eligibility options. Congratulations to #7 Abdu Regassa, #11 Josh Kidder, #14 Quinn Rechner, #15 Arthur Souza, #19 Colin Alba, #22 Raul Medina, and #23 David Cox.

DAN'S THE MAN
Newcomer Daniel Ibarra earned the starting goalkeeper job and has played every minute in net this season for the Panthers. He has posted a 1.64 goals-against average which starts the week sixth in the league. He has added a .729 save percentage (third in the league) and tops the conference in total saves with 62 and saves per game at 4.43.

JUMP ON HIS SHOULDERS
David Cox helped send Milwaukee to a 3-2 comeback victory over Robert Morris Sept. 23 and wound up the Horizon League Player of the Week for the first time in his career for his efforts. Cox helped the Panthers erase a 1-0 second-half deficit when he scored in the 60th minute to level it and then blasted home a penalty kick just three minutes later to go ahead, 2-1. He topped that off with an assist on the third goal for a career-high five points (2G/1A) in the 3-2 decision over the Colonials. A deeper look at the stat sheet shows Cox came into the game with three points (1G/1A) to that point in 2023.

RANKINGS RESULTS
The 1-1 draw against No. 23 Marquette Sept. 19 marks the first outing for the Panthers against a ranked foe since defeating No. 22 Northern Kentucky in the Horizon League Tournament title game back in the 2020 COVID season. Prior to that, the Panthers had not battled ranked opponents since matching up with a Wright State squad twice near the end of the 2018 campaign. Milwaukee fell, 1-0, to WSU in the regular season and then failed to advance in league tournament semifinals after falling in a PK shootout (4-3) after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw (Wright State was ranked #21 and then #18 in the games).

OPEN THE FLOODGATES
The Panthers turned a 0-0 deadlock into a 3-0 victory over Dayton Sept. 4, scoring all three goals over the final 12:48 of the contest. David Cox picked up the eventual game-winner on a PK at the 78:12 mark and then Daiki Kumakawa made it 2-0 at 81:24, with Asher Ozuzu closing out the scoring at the 86:09 mark. The three goals in a span of 7:57 on the clock is the quickest trio of finding the back of the net for the team since netting three in a span of 3:06 against Western Illinois Oct. 5, 2021. That spree marked the quickest in the program in over 25 years.

THE BATTLE FOR THE MILWAUKEE CUP
Milwaukee and Marquette play for the "Milwaukee Cup", one of the longest-standing rivalries in all of college soccer. In the summer of 2011, the College Soccer News website published a list called "The Fourteen Greatest Rivalries in College Soccer." Weighing in at No. 10 on their list was the Milwaukee Cup. The Panthers certainly have the upper hand all-time, now holding a 31-12-6 record in the series and did maintain possession of the Cup from 2017 until last fall. Over the past seven meetings, the Panthers are 3-1-3.

Marquette head coach Louis Bennett has been a part of every one of these matchups since 1996, having served as the head coach of the Panthers (1996-2005) before heading across town to lead MU.

The 2012 matchup remains one for the memory books, as the Golden Eagles, trailing the Panthers 2-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest, pulled off a stunning finish to grab possession of the Cup. Following a goalkeeper miscue, Marquette found the equalizer at the 81:53 mark and then won the contest at the buzzer as the winning goal crossed the line at the 89:59 mark before the horn sounded. The 2013 edition was just as exciting, with the Panthers scoring just 60 seconds into the affair en route to a 2-1 victory over a Marquette squad that was ranked No. 12 at the time.

"CUP-DATE"
The Panthers play for three different rivalry "cups" each season and were looking to hold all three in the same year for the first time since 2011 this fall. The team took possession of the first when it posted a 3-2 victory over Northern Illinois Sept. 12. In addition to the Milwaukee Cup, the program has had possession of the "Chancellor's Cup" - the winner of the Green Bay matchup - since 2021.

GOAL!
Freshman Asher Ozuzu scored a big goal for the Panthers, netting the first of his collegiate career against Chicago State Aug. 27. In doing so, he became the 11th freshman since 2000 to score in the season opener, joining Antou Jallow (2001), Adam Skalecki (2005), Edison Crespo (2010), Declan Rodriguez (2012), Petter Ingebrigtsen (2014), Matthias Binder (2015), Francesco Saporito (2015), Henrik Fennefoss (2017), Logan Farrington (2020), and Adi Vaknin (2021) on that list.

INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN
The Panthers will certainly have a new look this season, as 13 of the 25 players on the roster did not play at Milwaukee last season. In addition to four true freshmen, the team also welcomes nine transfers from other programs, all of which are listed in the junior class for eligibility purposes.

The team will also be inexperienced in goal, as all 1,530 of playing time between the pipes last season is not back on the field.

Points: returners accounted for 37 of the 76 points (48.6 percent)
Goals: 9 of 22 goals (40.9 percent)
Assists: 19 of 32 assists (59.4 percent)
Starts: returning players accounted for 121 starts last season (64.5 percent).
Minutes: returning players accounted for 7,901 of 16,772 minutes played (47.1 percent), with just three players that saw the field over 1,200 minutes (Gabe Anguil 1,251/David Cox 1,218/Josh Kidder 1,213)

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
The Panthers continue to add quite a mix to the active roster as players with international roots continue to join the program. This fall, the team will have student-athletes from eight different countries or territories. In addition to 17 players from the United States, the roster will have representation from the following:

Cayman Islands: Micah O'Garro (George Town)
England: Harry O'Brien (Manchester)/Harry Lee (Warrington)
France: Bienvenu Djunga (Asnières-sur-Seine)
Ireland: Matthew Toolan (Dublin)
Japan: Daiki Kumakawa (Ryugasaki)
Mexico: Daniel Ibarra (Monterrey)
Spain: Mesfin Roda (Barcelona)/Raul Medina (Madrid)

LEAGUE LIFTOFF
The Panthers are now 24-13-3 all-time in league openers in seasons in which they have been affiliated with a conference following a loss to Purdue Fort Wayne this year. Head coach Kris Kelderman is 5-6-2 in his 13 seasons, with the team knocking off UIC to open 2021 by a final score of 2-1 and also beating Purdue Fort Wayne, 3-2, in 2020.

FOR OPENERS
Milwaukee is now 27-19-5 all-time in season openers following a 3-2 loss to Chicago State to open 2023. Head coach Kris Kelderman now has 13 season openers on his resume at the NCAA Division I collegiate level, going 10-3-0. In addition to the wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (2020), WIU (2017-2019), Eastern Illinois (2016), Evansville (2015), DePaul (2014) and a nationally-ranked Marquette squad (2013), his Green Bay squad topped SIU Edwardsville, 1-0, in 2011.

DRAW IT UP
The 2022 season will go down in the record books from one standpoint ... games ending in a draw. Despite being in nearly every game last fall, the Panthers ended the campaign with a school record of eight ties.

The 1-1 result against the Phoenix Oct. 8 equaled the mark of five established in 2005 and matched again in 2008. In addition, the team played to a deadlock in three straight - 1-1 against Green Bay and 2-2 against both IUPUI and Wright State - marking the first time MKE has played three consecutive matches that have ended in a tie in the 50-year history of the program. The last time the Panthers posted even back-to-back pushes was the end of the 2019 campaign, playing UIC (0-0) and Wright State (1-1) even in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals and championship matches. All-time, the team has only played back-to-back draws just nine times in 50 seasons.

The Panthers finished just one even match away from tying the all-time NCAA record of nine in one season. Four other teams have accomplished the feat in the past, most recently UC Davis in 2014 (7-4-9). Others include South Florida (8-4-9 in 2013), St. John's (9-3-9 in 2009), and Providence (8-4-9 in 2005). With the changes in overtime last season, a few new entries were added as Fordham went 3-4-9 and Navy finished 7-5-9.

GABE SETTING IT UP
After finishing fourth in the Horizon League with his six assists as a freshman, Gabe Anguil picked up right where he left off in 2022. Through the early season action, Anguil had recorded assists on three of the first five MKE goals of the campaign, including a pair of helpers at NIU Sept. 5. He then picked up assists on both goals against Wright State September 28 and again on one of the two markers against IUPUI Oct. 1. He also had a goal and an assist in the draw at Northern Kentucky Oct. 22 and recorded another pair in the season finale against Purdue Fort Wayne.

His assist total of nine ended up leading the Horizon League and finished 12th in the NCAA per-game (0.53 APG) and 16th in total assists.

THAT'S MISTER TO YOU SIR
One of the true freshmen on the MKE roster brings along his own "title" after being named "Mr. Soccer" in the state of Minnesota following his senior year. Asher Ozuzu attended Eastview High School in Apple Valley, Minn., capping his prep career by winning the Class 3A "Mr. Soccer" award, the first time an Eastview player earned the distinction in school history. The team captain led the state with a school-record 39 goals (11 more than the prior record) and added seven assists for the Lightning on the year, picking up Minnesota All-State honors as well as being named the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year. The all-conference honoree had a four-goal game in the sectional semifinals to go along with five hat tricks and eight two-goal outings on the campaign. After scoring in his first collegiate game, he followed with a backflip celebration that brought a roar from the crowd.

CHANCELLOR'S CUP DRAMA
The battle for the Chancellor's Cup has seen some thrillers over the years, but if it feels like the drama and intensity has been higher lately, you would be correct. Jake Kelderman scored the only goal just 91 seconds into the 1-0 victory in fall of 2021 and David Cox was the hero in 2020's version, netting the game-winner with 36 seconds left in regulation. Last fall, Raul Medina netted a goal in the 83rd to help MKE find a 1-1 decision and maintain possession of the Cup.

The Chancellor's Cup, which originally began as a tournament of Wisconsin state schools in the 1980's, continues to be given to the winner in the annual Milwaukee/Green Bay game. As an extra storyline, Kris Kelderman spent the 2011 season as the head coach at Green Bay.

It happened again in 2018, with Sean Holmes' golden goal coming in the 99th minute. The year prior, MKE tied the game with just eight seconds remaining in regulation on a goal by Jonathan Stadler to force overtime before falling. And again in 2016, when Milwaukee reclaimed the Cup with a thrilling 1-0 victory Oct. 22 on a goal by Magnus Flaatedal. Seven of the past 14 occasions these two teams have now played, the game has gone into overtime (5 of 7 into double-overtime), with five of the seven ending in victories for one team or the other. Nine years ago it was an own goal that won it for Green Bay, snapping Milwaukee's 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) to start the 2013 season. The 2012 version ended in a draw but the 2011 edition provided one of the most memorable finishes to a game in program history, with Cody Banks netting the winner at the 109:53 mark.

LEAGUE POLL
Following a challenging season in 2022, Milwaukee was picked by league coaches to finish seventh in the preseason poll. The Panthers tallied 42 points, which was within a few votes of being in the Top 5.

2023 #HLMSOC Preseason Poll
Pl.  Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1.      Cleveland State (9) – 99
2.      IUPUI (1)  -- 80
3.      Oakland – 71
4.      Wright State – 60
5.      Green Bay – 50
6.      Northern Kentucky – 46
7.      Milwaukee – 42
8.      Robert Morris – 40
9.      Purdue Fort Wayne – 34
10.   Detroit Mercy – 28

GETTING TO TWO
Recently on offense, once the team has found a second goal, the Panthers continue to be very tough to beat. The squad went 7-1-0 in 2021, 6-1-0 in 2020, and 10-0-1 in 2019 when scoring two or more goals. That brings the six-plus year tally to 56-13-12 (.765) when finding the back of the net at least twice in a match, including the most recent 3-2 win over Robert Morris.

NOW THIS IS HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
When it comes to home field advantage, the Panthers have historically ranked right up there with the best in the business. From 2001 through 2006, Milwaukee turned Engelmann Stadium into a place visiting teams did not want to see on their schedule, going 49-8-2 in that time. After a few down seasons by MKE standards, the magic is getting brought back - the Panthers have compiled a record of 52-29-25 (.609) at home in Kris Kelderman's 11-plus years as the head coach.

CATCH THEM IN ACTION
Milwaukee men's soccer will be available for the viewing pleasure of MKE fans this season, as seven of the nine home games are scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ (subject to change due to weather and location). The Horizon League and ESPN have an agreement that includes ESPN hosting the league's digital network on the ESPN+ platform. ESPN+, which will host the Horizon League women's soccer, men's soccer and volleyball championships this season, offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) and cancel at any time. Launched in April of 2018, ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App.

ON TAP
The regular season will wrap up Wednesday afternoon with the Panthers hosting Green Bay for the "Chancellor's Cup". The contest will kick off at 1 p.m.