Earlier this week, Michigan men's soccer coach Steve Burns was at a high school soccer game when he was asked when he'll he'd be leaving for State College and the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Burns could hardly believe his own words when he replied that the team takes the field for the first round on Nov. 11, six days from today.

He had been so focused on taking care of business against conference opponents teams that the travel date snuck up on him.

“Seeding is all up for grabs right now,” Burns said. “One of our goals is to be a top three team in the Big Ten.”

There will be much more at stake than simply spoiling Northwestern's senior night when the Wolverines (10-4-3 overall, 3-2-0, Big Ten) travel to Evanston this weekend to take on the Wildcats.

Rather, the Wolverines will be concentrating on snatching one of the coveted top three spots for the upcoming conference tournament.

Currently in second place behind Indiana, Michigan is coming off an unforgettable one-goal Senior Day victory over Michigan State.

“We've had some great games against Michigan State and, in the last five years, we've come out on the wrong side,” Burns said. “It was a nice confidence boost for us going into our last Big Ten game.”

The Wildcats have no shortage of motivation. Northwestern is also jockeying for position heading into the tournament, which will be played Nov. 11-14.

In particular, star forward Oliver Kupe would love to add to his team-leading eight goals this season. Kupe, a Clarkston, Mich. native, went unrecruited by the Wolverines. He hasn't forgotten that, Burns said.

“Those are some dangerous players when they come back and play against you when they've got that extra motivation,” Burns said.

Michigan's last two losses have come on the road, a trend that needs to be reversed — and fast, especially if the Wolverines, just one year removed from a first-round Big Ten Tournament exit, wish to find postseason success.

“When you're playing on the road, you play differently,” Burns acknowledged. “Against Indiana, there was a 20-minute period in the first half when they physically imposed their game on us. And we didn't respond.”

With two straight victories under their belt, Burns says Michigan has been practicing like they've been playing — hungrily. The Wolverines are expected to be at full strength for the trip which could easily pose problems for the Wildcats.

“In practice, we challenged the starters to perform at a higher level, and they did,” Burns said. “I reminded them that now we need to take that into Evanston come Saturday.”