KEARNEY, Neb. – With the regular season dwindling down, every game is becoming more crucial for the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team. In their first contest of the final weekend, the Tigers needed overtime against the Lopers but secured the 2-1 win in Kearney following an early goal from Olympia Katsouridis. The win improves FHSU to 9-6-2 and 7-3 in MIAA play, while the Lopers drop to 5-11-1 and a 3-6-1 conference mark.

Fort Hays State got on the board first as freshman Cailey Perkins captured her seventh goal of the season as she headed the ball in off an assist from Darby Hirsch in the 12th minute of play. FHSU held the 1-0 lead over UNK until Megan Merkel found fellow Loper Megan Cook inside the box after a rebounded shot to tie up the match at 1-1 in the 25th minute.

The 1-1 tie held steady for the remainder of regulation, forcing overtime between the two programs. In the previous meeting this season for UNK and FHSU, that contest also needed extra time before the Tigers claimed the 1-0 victory off a Hirsch goal.

It was a similar tale for the Tigers this match as well, as Katsouridis only needed 36 seconds in overtime to notch the game-winning goal. Katsouridis recorded her third goal of the year in a header off an assist from Nikita Woods just eight yards out. Fort Hays State stole the 2-1 win over Nebraska-Kearney.
UNK outshot Fort Hays State by a 12-9 margin with nine hitting on target compared to eight from the Tigers. Hirsch led all players with four shots on the day.

Megan Kneefel recorded the win in net for the Tigers as she documented eight saves in her 12 shots faced. Kneefel boosts her season record as anchor FHSU to 8-5-2 and increased her total saves to 72.

Fort Hays State has already clinched a spot in the conference tournament; however, it will come down to how Sunday’s matches around the conference shake out to determine if the Tigers will host or hit the road for their first round matchup.

The Tigers will host Washburn for their final regular season contest of the year on Sunday (Oct. 18) for Senior Day. The Ichabods and Tigers are set for first kick at 1 p.m. at FHSU Soccer Stadium.

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team came up short in Friday’s match against Pittsburg State, falling in three sets (Oct. 26). The Tigers are now 8-19 on the year and 2-13 in MIAA play, while the Gorillas move to 18-10 overall and 7-8 in league competition.

After celebrating their senior class before the match, the Gorillas came out on fire, taking the first five points before cruising to a 25-12 victory in the opening set. Fort Hays State turned things around in the second frame, capturing seven of the first 10 points to lead by as many as four. The Tigers led as late as 9-8, but a 9-2 run by the home team put them in front for good. FHSU fought back within two (16-14) after a solo block from Tatum Bartels and an Amirah Bentley service ace, but the Gorillas finished strong to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room, 25-18.

A service ace from Bre Becker helped the Tigers open a back-and-forth third set with four consecutive points. The first of 10 ties in the set came at 5-5 in the midst of a big PSU run to thwart Fort Hays State’s early advantage. The game of runs returned to the Tigers, who scored four in a row again to retake the lead, 10-8. A kill from Azlyn Cassaday followed another Bartels solo block, tying things up at eight. A Gorilla error gave FHSU the lead before Madison Elwood and Bartels teamed up for a block to double the advantage.

After the teams traded points for several rallies, the Tigers put together five-straight points to jump in front 20-15. Multiple kills from Cassaday, a pair of PSU errors and an Abbie Hayes service ace handed the Tigers their largest lead of the match, prompting a Gorilla timeout. Pittsburg State came out of the huddle on a mission, finishing the sweep after an 11-4 run handed them a 26-24 victory.

Cassaday led the Tigers with 10 kills and 12 digs, posting her team-leading sixth double-double of the season. Amirah Bentley contributed 11 assists, eight digs, two kills and one service ace. Bartels totaled three blocks (two solo) to go along with one dig. The Tigers were limited to a .056 attack percentage, while the Gorillas posted a .212 swing rate.

The Tigers will wrap up the road portion of their regular season Saturday (Oct. 27) when they take on No. 14 Central Oklahoma at 4 p.m. in Edmond, Okla.

After winning nine-straight matches, Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer is in position to make a seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers stayed at No. 1 in the latest set of NCAA Central Region Rankings, released Wednesday (Oct. 24). The top two teams in the Central Region are chosen to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers picked up a non-conference win at the University of Mary this past Sunday and have already clinched their second-consecutive MIAA title with three more regular season matches to play. The No. 2 team in the region, Northeastern State, sits at 11-2-1 overall and has four matches to finish the regular season.

Tabbed at No. 3 is Lindenwood, keeping three MIAA schools in the mix. Harding rounds out the top four in the region.

Below are the NCAA Central Region Rankings for October 24, 2018.

Rank Team Division II Record In-Region Record
1 Fort Hays State 12-2-1 11-1
2 Northeastern State 11-2-1 10-2-1
3 Lindenwood 7-4-3 7-4-2
4 Harding 7-5-1 7-5-1

Fort Hays State Football moved up to No. 23 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 23). The Tigers moved up two spots from No. 25 last week. Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State are also in this week’s Top 25.

Northwest Missouri State is No. 5 in the poll for a second straight week, though it holds the No. 11 ranking in the official AFCA Poll. Pittsburg State jumps into the Top 25 this week at No. 25. Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State are both among the top receiving votes teams in the AFCA Poll.

Nine of the 10 teams referenced in the first release of the NCAA Super Region 3 rankings are in the D2Football.com Top 25. Super Region 3 teams make up nearly 40 percent of the Top 25.

Below is the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll for October 23, 2018.

Team Record Previous
1 Minnesota State 8-0 1
2 Ferris State 8-0 2
3 West Georgia 8-0 3
4 Ouachita Baptist 8-0 4
5 Northwest Missouri State 7-1 5
6 Minnesota Duluth 8-0 6
7 Valdosta State 8-0 7
8 Grand Valley State 7-1 8
9 Colorado Mines 8-0 9
10 Tarleton State 7-0 10
11 Midwestern State 6-1 11
12 CSU-Pueblo 7-1 12
13 West Chester 7-0 13
14 Indianapolis 6-1 14
15 Kutztown 7-0 15
16 Notre Dame 8-0 16
17 Tiffin 8-0 19
18 LIU-Post 7-0 18
19 Central Washington 6-2 20
20 Texas A&M-Commerce 6-2 22
21 Southern Arkansas 7-1 21
22 Harding 6-2 23
23 Fort Hays State 6-2 25
24 Lenoir-Rhyne 7-1 NR
25 Pittsburg State 6-2 NR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior forward Santiago Agudelo has been named MIAA Men’s Soccer Athlete of the Week, announced Tuesday (Oct. 23) by the league office. This is the fourth time Agudelo has achieved the honor this season.

Agudelo recorded his fourth hat trick of the season in Fort Hays State’s only game this past week. He scored goals in the 11th, 27th, and 29th minutes to push FHSU out to a 3-0 lead at the University of Mary, ultimately going on to win 7-0. He scored on all three of his shot attempts in the match. In Fort Hays State’s current nine-match win streak, Agudelo scored 19 of his nation-leading 22 goals for the season. He only played 32 minutes at Mary before resting for the remainder of the match. He continues to lead the nation in goals per game (1.57), shots on goal per game (3.29), and points per game (3.5), and is tied for the lead in game-winning goals (7).

The Tigers resume conference play this weekend when they travel to Fayette, Iowa to take on Upper Iowa on Friday afternoon (Oct. 26). Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. against the Peacocks.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team jumped two spots in the latest release of the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Poll. The Tigers now sit at No. 10 in the nation, released Tuesday (Oct. 23). The Tigers extended their winning streak to tie the program record at nine-consecutive matches.

The Tigers defeated University of Mary on Sunday (Oct. 21), in a 7-0 shutout. Santiago Agudelo recorded his fourth hat trick of the season in Fort Hays State’s only game this past week. He scored goals in the 11th, 27th, and 29th minutes to push FHSU out to a 3-0 lead at the University of Mary, ultimately going on to win 7-0. He scored on all three of his shot attempts in the match. In Fort Hays State’s current nine-match win streak, Agudelo scored 19 of his nation-leading 22 goals for the season. He only played 32 minutes at Mary before resting for the remainder of the match. He continues to lead the nation in goals per game (1.57), shots on goal per game (3.29), and points per game (3.5), and is tied for the lead in game-winning goals (7).

The Black and Gold continue their road trip by resuming conference play this weekend. The Tigers are set to take on the Peacocks of Upper Iowa in Fayette, Iowa on Friday (Oct. 26). Kickoff is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Below is the United Soccer Coaches Men’s Division II Poll for October 23, 2018.

Rank School Prev. W-L-T
1 Simon Fraser 1 14-0-0
2 Young Harris College 2 13-0-0
3 Palm Beach Atlantic 3 13-1-0
4 Univ. of Charleston 4 13-0-2
5 Colorado School of Mines 5 14-1-1
6 Midwestern State 7 13-1-1
7 Lander 10 11-1-2
8 Azusa Pacific 14 12-1-0
9 Adelphi 13 12-2-1
10 Fort Hays State 12 12-2-1
11 Univ. of Southern Indiana 16 12-2-1
12 Mercy College 8 9-2-1
13 Barry 19 9-3-1
14 West Chester RV 10-2-3
15 West Texas A&M 17 11-2-2
16 Saginaw Valley State 22 9-1-5
17 UC-San Diego 24 12-2-2
18 Nova Southeastern 23 9-3-0
19 Southern New Hampshire 18 11-2-2
20 Northeastern State 20 11-2-1
21 Notre Dame College 11 12-3-0
22 Limestone College 21 10-3-0
23 Colorado Mesa 24 10-1-4
24 CSU-Los Angeles 9 11-2-2
25 Univ. of Indianapolis RV 12-3-1
Records shown are through games of Oct. 21, 2018.

Also receiving votes: Lynn University, Ohio Valley University, Spring Hill College, Le Moyne College, Lindenwood University, Florida Tech, Florida Southern College.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA released its first set of football super region rankings on Monday (Oct. 22). At the end of the regular season, the top seven teams in each of the four super regions will be selected for the NCAA Playoffs. Looking for an appearance in the playoffs for a second-straight year, Fort Hays State sits at No. 7 in the first release of the Super Region 3 rankings.

The Tigers are the top two-loss team in the Super Region, a group that also includes Harding (Ark.), Pittsburg State (Kan.), and Saginaw Valley State (Mich.). Harding advanced through the Super Region 3 bracket last year and reached the national semifinals before getting knocked out of the playoffs.

Ferris State (Mich.), the school FHSU lost to in the Super Region semifinals last year, holds the No. 1 ranking in the first release. The Bulldogs are a perfect 8-0 so far this year. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) is also perfect on the season at 8-0 and holds the No. 2 ranking. Grand Valley State (Mich.), Northwest Missouri State, Indianapolis, and Southern Arkansas all have one loss, sitting in front of the Tigers in the rankings.

Fort Hays State (6-2) hosts Lindenwood (3-5) this Saturday in Hays at 2 pm.

Below are the Super Region 3 rankings for October 22, 2018.

Rank Team In-Region Record Division II Record
1 Ferris State (Mich.) 7-0 8-0
2 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 8-0 8-0
3 Grand Valley State (Mich.) 5-1 7-1
4 Northwest Missouri State 7-1 7-1
5 Indianapolis (Ind.) 6-1 6-1
6 Southern Arkansas 7-1 7-1
7 Fort Hays State (Kan.) 6-2 6-2
8 Harding (Ark.) 6-2 6-2
9 Pittsburg State (Kan.) 6-2 6-2
10 Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 6-2 6-2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior kicker/punter Dante Brown earned MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week for the fourth time this season on Monday following his great performance in the 29-26 double-overtime win at Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. Brown matched his single-game school record of five field goals, booting through a pair in overtime to help lift FHSU to the road win.

Brown went a perfect 5-of-5 on his field goal attempts. Brown pushed his season field goal total to 20 and continues to lead NCAA Division II. In overtime, he converted a 34-yard field goal to give FHSU a 26-23 lead before UNK matched the field goal to extend the game to another overtime. After UNK missed a field goal on its possession in the second overtime, Brown nailed a 26-yard field goal for the win. He also made field goals from 47 and 46 yards in the fourth quarter, pushing the Tigers to a three-point lead each time. His other field goal was at the end of the second quarter from 22 yards. Brown also punted the ball seven times for an average of 37.7 yards per attempt, with a game long of 46 yards.

Brown has now won the Special Teams Athlete of the Week honor following Weeks 1, 4, 5, and 8 this year.

Joining Brown for the weekly honors from the conference are Central Oklahoma quarterback Will Collins and Pittsburg State running back Tucker Horak (Co-Offensive Athletes of the Week) and Pittsburg State defensive lineman Simanu’a Thomas (Defensive Athlete of the Week).

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State continues to receive votes in the latest AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Oct. 22). The Tigers are the third-highest listed team in the receiving votes section.

Northwest Missouri State (7-1) remains the only MIAA team inside the Top 25 currently, holding down the No. 11 ranking for the second straight week. Pittsburg State is the only other team from the MIAA listed with the Tigers in the receiving votes section, both teams at 6-2 overall.

Fort Hays State hosts Lindenwood this Saturday (Oct. 27) in Hays at 2 pm. The Lions are coming off a loss to Northwest Missouri State and sit at 3-5 overall, with all three of their wins coming in road games this season.

Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll for October 22, 2018.

Rank School (1st votes) Record Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1. Minnesota St. (30) 8-0 821 1 D. Bemidji St. (Minn.), 47-20 Oct. 27 at Wayne St. (Neb.)
2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (3) 8-0 768 2 D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 28-14 Oct. 27 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
3. West Georgia 8-0 755 3 D. West Alabama, 27-25 Oct. 27 at Mississippi College
4. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 8-0 678 4 D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 41-0 Oct. 27 at Arkansas-Monticello
5. Minnesota-Duluth 8-0 670 5 D. Winona St. (Minn.), 37-17 Oct. 27 at Minnesota-Crookston
6. Colorado School of Mines 8-0 646 6 D. Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 42-27 Oct. 27 vs. South Dakota Mines
7. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 8-0 630 7 D. North Greenville (S.C.), 44-21 Nov. 3 at West Florida
8. Tarleton St. (Texas) 7-0 582 9 D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 59-21 Oct. 27 at No. 10 Midwestern St. (Texas)
9. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 7-1 541 8 D. Davenport (Mich.), 19-14 Oct. 27 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 6-1 524 10 Idle Oct. 27 vs. No. 8 Tarleton St. (Texas)
11. Northwest Missouri St. 7-1 513 11 D. Lindenwood (Mo.), 38-17 Oct. 27 at Northeastern St. (Okla.)
12. West Chester (Pa.) 7-0 459 12 D. East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 53-24 Oct. 27 at No. 15 Kutztown (Pa.)
13. Colorado St.-Pueblo 7-1 414 13 D. Adams St. (Colo.), 29-22 Oct. 27 vs. Fort Lewis (Colo.)
14. Notre Dame (Ohio) 8-0 406 14 D. West Virginia Wesleyan, 41-0 Oct. 27 vs. Charleston (W.Va.)
15. Kutztown (Pa.) 7-0 342 15 D. Shippensburg (Pa.), 42-28 Oct. 27 vs. No. 12 West Chester (Pa.)
16. Indianapolis (Ind.) 6-1 338 16 D. McKendree (Ill.), 48-10 Oct. 27 at Southwest Baptist (Mo.)
17. Tiffin (Ohio) 8-0 303 17 D. No. 25 Ohio Dominican, 24-23 Oct. 27 at Lake Erie (Ohio)
18. Texas A&M-Commerce 6-2 241 18 D. Western New Mexico, 55-7 Oct. 27 vs. West Texas A&M
19. LIU-Post (N.Y.) 7-0 237 20 D. Pace (N.Y.), 41-6 Oct. 27 at Assumption (Mass.)
20. Central Washington 6-2 175 21 D. Simon Fraser (B.C.), 60-19 Oct. 27 at Humboldt St. (Calif.)
21. Southern Arkansas 7-1 171 22 D. East Central (Okla.), 48-9 Oct. 27 vs. Henderson St. (Ark.)
22. Indiana (Pa.) 6-2 109 23 D. Gannon (Pa.), 43-34 Oct. 27 vs. Seton Hill (Pa.)
23. Harding (Ark.) 6-2 95 24 D. Northwestern Oklahoma St., 38-7 Oct. 27 at East Central (Okla.)
24. Lenoir-Rhyne (S.C.) 7-1 83 NR D. Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 30-22 Oct. 27 vs. North Carolina-Pembroke
25. Hillsdale (Mich.) 7-1 47 NR D. Walsh (Ohio), 28-9 Oct. 27 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
Others Receiving Votes: Slippery Rock (Pa.), 42; Pittsburg State (Kan.), 37; Fort Hays State (Kan.), 30; West Texas A&M, 15; Morehouse (Ga.), 13; Florida Tech, 9; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 5; Ohio Dominican, 4; West Florida, 4; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 3; Missouri S&T, 3; Bowie St. (Md.), 2; Davenport (Mich.), 2; Virginia Union, 1.

KEARNEY, Neb. – Dante Brown tied a school record with five field goals including the game-winner from 26 yards in the second overtime as Fort Hays State escaped with a 29-26 win over Nebraska-Kearney Saturday at Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

Brown has now kicked a nation’s best 20 field goals this season, breaking the FHSU single-season record of 16 held by his predecessor Brandon Brown.

Chris Brown Postgame Press Conference

D.J. Hickman Postgame Interview

Dante Brown Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Brown’s first field goal came from 22 yards on the final play of the second quarter to pull the Tigers (6-2) within 14-10 at halftime. His 47-yarder into the wind following UNK fumble gave FHSU a 20-17 lead with 11:15 to play in the fourth quarter.

After Loper freshman kicker Brian Covarrubias nailed a 42 yard field goal to tie the game 20-20 with 2:36 to play, the Tigers drove 46 yards in eight plays capped by a Brown 46-yard field goal that went through after hitting the crossbar with 0:42 left.

UNK (4-4) took advantage of a missed tackle on a fourth down play near mid-field to drive 39 yards in seven plays and forced overtime with a 39-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. The kick came after the Tigers dropped a potential game-ending interception in the endzone with 0:02 left.

Both teams exchanged field goals on their first overtime possessions. UNK missed from 36 yards on their second overtime possession. The Tigers handed the ball off six straight time to D.J. Hickman on their second possession, driving to the nine to set up Brown for a 26-yarder game-winner.

The Tigers drove 75 yards in seven plays on their first possession, using a 24-yard D.J. Hickman run and 33-yard pass from Jacob Mezera to Harley Hazlett on a reverse flea-flicker to set up a two-yard Hickman touchdown run.

Darrius Webb returned the ensuing kickoff 98-yards for a touchdown. Webb led the Lopers with 149 rushing yards.
Harley Hazlett’s four-yard touchdown run capped a 13-play, 83-yard drive and tied the game 17-17 with 11:15 to play in the game.

Hickman led the Tigers with 111 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Hazlett hauled in nine passes for 93 yards while Layne Bieberle had six catches for 52 yards.

Jacob Mezera completed 20-of-34 passes for 194 and an interception.

Nebraska native Connor Shedeed led the defense with 12 tackles. Jose Delgado added 10 to break the FHSU career record for total tackles in the Division II era.

FHSU hosts Lindenwood at Lewis Field next Saturday. The Lions lost 38-17 at home to No. 11 Northwest Missouri State.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team came up just short in the first two sets against Emporia State Saturday afternoon (Oct. 20) before falling in straight sets, 25-23, 25-22, 25-17. The loss moves the Tigers to 8-18 overall and 2-12 in MIAA action, while the Hornets are now 12-15 this season and 6-8 against league opponents.

The teams went back and forth early on before the Tigers tried to pull away midway through the opening set, tallying four-straight points to take a 16-11 lead. Ashley Webb opened the run with a big kill at the middle of the net before combining with Azlyn Cassaday for a block two rallies later. Morgan West then dropped in a kill to give the Tigers a five-point advantage, the largest lead for either teams in the frame. Emporia State quickly rallied to tie things up at 18 after a 7-2 run. ESU took the lead for good at 20-19 before holding on to steal the opening set.

Fort Hays State again stretched out the largest lead in the second set, pulling in front 14-10 halfway through the frame. Back-to-back kills from Webb and Cassaday prompted a Hornet timeout before the Tigers went in front by four on a Hornet miscue. ESU later scored four-straight to tie things up at 16 before the teams traded points for the next several rallies. Another ESU error gave the Tigers a 21-20 lead, but the visitors grabbed five of the last six points to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

Two kills from Isabelle Reynolds and a service ace from Abbie Hayes gave the Tigers an 8-7 lead in the third set, but Emporia State responded by scoring the next four points to take the lead for good. The Tigers tied things up at 14 after an Abby Groth service ace and a kill from Webb before ESU went on a 10-0 run to reach set point.

Reynolds led the match with 13 kills, recording just one error on 30 swings to post a .400 attack percentage. Cassaday added 11 kills and eight digs. Groth (17 digs) and Hayes (13) paced the team with digs while each had a service ace, the only two of the match for either team. Bre Becker tossed up 36 assists and added seven digs defensively. Webb matched her career high with nine kills and four total blocks. Fort Hays State was outhit in the match, .301-.154.

Fort Hays State will head back out on the road next weekend, taking on Pittsburg State Friday (Oct. 26) at 6 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.