Senior men’s soccer captains Michael Murphy and Greg Northrop are pushing the team to remain competitive in the final stretch of the season, despite the early disqualification for the MIAC playoffs.

The Pipers are 3-9-1. However, they are still working to improve their record, become more competitive and strengthen the program.

“We are always in every single game,” Northrop said. “No matter if you are up or down a goal you have to play the full 90 minutes regardless of what the score is, and I think that’s starting to rub off on the guys.”

The co-captains are striving to make a difference this season and leave a lasting legacy after they graduate this year.

“We obviously can’t make a huge difference record wise this year, but what we [seniors] do now will help their record next year; that’s the goal,” Northrop said. “Try to make it better so that next year they could start off on the right foot and hopefully make a run at it.”

Murphy believed the fans who attended games this season have seen how good they are; however, others who haven’t, only judge them by their record.

“Don’t look at our record and say [just because] we haven’t won games [that] we are not great,” Murphy said. “If you come out and watch us you’re going to see that every single game we played in we [improved]…you really have to see it, 90 percent of the game we have the ball and we’re pushing the other team…[we have] all of the momentum but unfortunately we come out on the bottom.”

Murphy said during his tenure with the Pipers, up until this year, the team didn’t have a solid sense of play, but this year they formed one and applied it when they faced Augsburg.

“[Wednesday] night was a tribute to where we are really headed…to be really hard to play against, to be relevant in the conference, and to be a force to be reckoned with,” Murphy said.

Despite giving up the early goal, the team fought back, and didn’t allow another goal that night. Although they lost 1-0, the Pipers held their composure.

This Wednesday, Oct. 23, the team will be hosting a tailgate at 3 p.m. at Pat Paterson Field. There will be free food, a friendly gathering for the fans and they may hand out free Midway Social Club T-shirts like they did a few weeks ago.

“It’s a great event to try to get the fan base back,” Northrop said. “We are just trying to help connect everyone on campus.”

Next year, the team will seek to maintain their fan club, the Midway Social Club, by having tailgates before every home game. Murphy sees it as an opportunity to build the program, and rebuild the student section a s a whole at home games.

“It’s really unique because…the way I see things on campus is that there’s a really big gap between the non-athletes and the athletes as far as the social community,” Murphy said. “It’s a way not only to bring that community together… it’s to get [other groups] to support each other.”

Northrop shared his family came to support the team and received free T-shirts at one of the home games.

“It’s kind of cool how [fans] get a free [shirt]…and feel connected to the team and want to come out and watch us,” Northrop said.

Murphy feels the fan support during the final stretch of the season will help them pull out some victories.

“Once we get more energy from [our fans] they are going to see more energy from us and they are going to see a big turnover because all we need is that one goal,” Murphy said. “We have the capability; we are a very strong squad. It’s just a matter of us [kicking] the ball [into] the back of the net. Once we can get another game under our belt, things are going to finish off really well.”

Although the team can’t qualify for a MIAC championship, they will finish out the season competitively. Just as the philosophy Northrop and Murphy has been emphasizing to the team.

“You have to play the full 90 minutes regardless to what the score is,” Northrop said. In this case, the Pipers will play their entire season competitively including their final games no matter what their record is.