David Archambeau/For the Gazette Michigan Tech midfielder Ryley Winrich tries to keep the ball away from a Northern Michigan player during a game Friday, Oct. 11, at Kearly Stadium in Houghton.

By DAVER KARNOSKY

dkarnosky@mininggazette.com

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — Coming off a 1-0 loss at Wisconsin-Parkside on Sunday, the Michigan Tech Huskies soccer team enters the final weekend of the regular season with hopes of sealing a spot in the GLIAC Tournament.

The Huskies have a record of 6-9 overall and 4-8 in conference play, which is good enough for 12 points. They hold a two-point lead on the Rangers for the seventh spot, but trail sixth-place Purdue Northwest by just a point.

Starting Thursday, the Huskies have two matches left, one at Saginaw Valley State, the other on Saturday against No. 17 Grand Valley State.

The loss on Sunday, in which the Huskies’ scoring struggles resurfaced, did not help.

“Yeah, not a good first half,” said Huskies coach Melisaa Kuhar. “Not a good way to start the game. I’ve told our girls, and they know it. You can’t start a game like that and expect to win. You can’t play a game like that and expect to win. (Despite the fact that) the stats (say) we have more shots than them, corners, all that. But, (if) you watched a 10-minute section of that game, that was not the team that we are.

“I let them know that, because at this point we have to be better. It’s end of the season and we’re fighting for moving up positions and stuff in the standings. We can’t play that way and I think they know that. It’s just we got to get better and the games are coming quick this week.”

With a short week and quick turnaround, Kuhar gave the players a day off on Tuesday, knowing the stretch upcoming.

“We leave (Wednesday) for a game on a Thursday, and Saturday, and then first round of playoffs is on Tuesday. So, it’s fast. There’s a lot of games in a short amount of time. Not a lot of time to prepare and do things, but we just have to be better, plain and simple. We have to be better.”

Kuhar was not shy about her feelings about Sunday’s loss, and she made sure the team understands that it will not find success by playing that way.

“I hope it got all of our bad vibes out, because we hit a (tough stretch),” she said. “We have to play a Saginaw team that’s playing really well right now. They kind of embarrassed a Ferris team the other day and beat them 4-1. Saginaw’s good right now. They’re peaking at the right time, and then Grand Valley’s, Grand Valley. They’ve had some weird results lately, but they’re still a good, quality team. So, hopefully that got it out of our system a bit.”

Sunday’s matchup with the Rangers was the lone meeting between the two squads, and Kuhar admitted that part of the struggle for her team was that, on film, the Rangers had used a number of different formations trying to find some success, so the Huskies could not focus their preparation accordingly.

With the two opponents this week after being teams the Huskies faced in early October, Kuhar feels that her group will be better prepared for tough battles.

“We just have to play our style, and that’s been what we need to do all year,” she said. “Sometimes that gets away from us. Possession-based, keep the ball, move the ball, if we play that way, we’re good. We’re a good team. I think sometimes the girls have to believe that as well.

“Our coaching staff can say do it this way, and we’ll have success and whatnot, but they have to believe it and then do it. I think as long as we kind of play our style, we can have success. I think that’s what I just have to keep telling our team, and encouraging them, as long as we play our style, we can be good and we can be successful.”

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS

The Saginaw Valley State Cardinals are 7-5-4 overall and 5-3-4 in conference play after sweeping Ferris State and Purdue Northwest last weekend, 4-1 and 1-0 respectively. The Cardinals are seven points ahead of the Huskies in the standings, and defeated Michigan Tech 1-0 earlier this season in Houghton.

Junior forward Rileigh Garbarz leads the team in points with four goals and 12 points. Junior midfielder Madi Bajis leads the team in goals with five. Senior forward Stephanie Strong has also been good, scoring two goals and eight points.

In goal, junior Lainey Garbarz has started 15 of 16 games, and sports a 1.08 goals against average and a .832 save percentage.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS

The Grand Valley State Lakers are 11-1-4 overall and 8-1-3 in conference play after defeating Roosevelt, 2-1, and playing Davenport to a 0-0 draw. The Lakers defeated the Huskies earlier this season, 2-1. Their lone loss on the season came to Davenport.

The Lakers are paced by a pair of senior midfielders in Emma Chudik and Ryann Fetty. Chudik has four goals and 10 points. Fetty has three goals and 10 points.

Sophomore forward Alli French has also played very well with four goals and eight points.

In goal, junior Cailynn Junk has been nearly perfect. She has started 14 games, and sports a 0.44 goals against average along with a .846 save percentage.

GAME TIMES

The Huskies and Cardinals will battle at 3 p.m. Thursday in University Center. Saturday, the Huskies and Lakers will do battle at 1 p.m. in Allendale.