JOPLIN, Mo. – It took less than twenty minutes for the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team to take a commanding lead at Missouri Southern. After notching two early goals, the Tigers would hold on to their lead to capture the 2-0 road win over the Lions. With the victory, Fort Hays State improves to 7-6-2 and 5-3 in MIAA play. The loss drops Missouri Southern to 7-6-2 and a 3-4-1 conference mark.

The Tigers came out ready to play as they scored their first goal within the first six minutes of the match. Olympia Katsouridis achieved her second goal of the season at the 5:37 mark as the ball deflected off the goalkeeper, giving Cailey Perkins the assist. Just over ten minutes later, Darby Hirsch netted her fourth goal of the season at 16:43 in the first half. The two early goals gave the Tigers a 2-0 advantage, which would remain for the first half.

In the second half, the Tigers controlled the tempo yet were unable to get on the board again, making the 2-0 lead from the first half the final. Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern were even on shots in the match with five each. The Tigers, however, attempted four shots on goal compared to just two hitting target for the Lions.

With just three contests now remaining in MIAA play, the Tigers are tied for fourth in the conference alongside Emporia State. Both teams are even at 5-3 in conference play and the Hornets have the advantage after their 3-2 win over Fort Hays State earlier in the season.

Megan Kneefel earned the win in goal for the Tigers as she improves her record to 6-5-2 overall. With her two saves on the night, Kneefel now owns 59 on the season. For the Lions, Luz Galindo takes the loss despite two saves of her own in the contest. Galindo drops her record on the season to 6-4-1.

Fort Hays State continues their road visits with a tilt at Southwest Baptist on Sunday (Oct. 21). That contest is slated for a 2 p.m. start in Bolivar.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team stuck with 11th-ranked Washburn for much of the evening Friday, but the Ichabods found a way to pull away to win in straight sets, 25-17, 25-19, 25-16. The Tigers dip to 8-17 on the year and 2-10 in MIAA play, while the Ichabods are now 23-1 overall and 11-1 in league action.

The Tigers fought tooth and nail with a high-powered Ichabod squad early on, splitting the first 32 rallies right down the middle, 16-16. Fort Hays State led by as many as two early on after a block from Azlyn Cassaday and Tatum Bartels, but the Ichabods soon clawed in front by four, 16-12. Two kills from Morgan West bookended a Bartels service ace, helping the Tigers close within one. A Washburn error on the following serve tied things up at 16 before the visitors went on a 9-1 run, closing out the set, 25-17.

Fort Hays State again jumped out to an early lead in the second set, going in front by two after a kill from Cassaday, 4-2. The Tigers tied the score as late as 6-6 before the Ichabods started to pull away. Trailing by eight, 18-10, FHSU put together a four-point rally to trim the deficit in half, but the Ichabods thwarted the run before the Tigers could tie things up. Washburn then scored seven of the first nine points out of the locker room in the third set, swinging an efficient .370 to close out the match.

Isabelle Reynolds led the match with 11 kills, while Bre Becker tossed up a team-high 25 assists to go along with eight digs. Taylor White led the Tigers with 10 digs.

Fort Hays State posted a hitting percentage of .099 on the night, while the Ichabods countered with a .296 swing rate. Both sides found success behind the service line, with the teams combining for nine service aces (WU 5, FHSU 4).

The Tigers will return to action Saturday when they host Emporia State at 3 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

(Courtesy Rogers State Athletics)

Rogers State University will join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association starting in fall 2019 pending formal approval from the university’s governing board.

The MIAA conference leadership on Thursday afternoon voted to welcome RSU as an associate member for the 2019-2020 season in all sports in which the university participates. The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, which governs RSU, will consider the issue during its Oct. 24 meeting.

The MIAA is a 14-school, NCAA Division II athletic conference featuring public and private institutions in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The conference includes area schools such as Northeastern State, University of Central Oklahoma, Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern State. Other MIAA schools include Central Missouri, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Lincoln University, Lindenwood, Missouri Western, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Northwest Missouri State, Southwest Baptist and Washburn.

RSU Director of Athletics Chris Ratcliff said a move to the MIAA aligns well with the athletic department’s mission moving forward.

“The MIAA is known for its championship-caliber athletic programs, emphasis on academic excellence and a commitment to community service, and these traits align perfectly with RSU’s vision for our athletic programs,” he said. “Additionally, the conference’s geographic footprint lends itself to natural rivalries with area schools that will excite our fans, while also reducing travel time for student-athletes.”

RSU President Dr. Larry Rice said the MIAA shares RSU’s commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes through its emphasis on academics, sportsmanship, ethical conduct and community service.

“At RSU, we strive to ensure that our student-athletes are successful in competition, in the classroom and in the community,” Rice said. “The MIAA shares our commitment to developing student-athletes who will earn their diplomas and then go out into the world to make a positive difference.”

The MIAA participates in conference championships for all sports in which RSU competes, including baseball and softball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s track and field. While most MIAA members compete in football, the conference in June removed specific sports sponsorship requirements (including football) for member institutions; RSU officials said the university will not be adding football to its athletic programs.

The 2018-2019 season marks RSU’s final year as a member of the Heartland Conference.

MUSKOGEE, Okla. – The Fort Hays State women’s golf team completed the fall portion of their wrap-around schedule at the Central Region Preview (Oct. 16-17). The event was held at Muskogee Country Club, a 5,852-yard, par 71 golf course. The Tigers shot rounds of 324 and 322 to finish 38-over (646) for the tournament.

Senior Hannah Perkins led the Tigers after tying for 16th individually. She fired identical rounds of 76 for the week. Perkins carded four birdies in the tournament.

Madison Roether finished in a tie for 50th overall. She shot rounds of 84 and 78, while posting two birdies. Taylor DeBoer tied for 72nd individually with rounds of 82 and 85. Kira Mestl carded rounds of 82 and 87 to finish tied for 77th. Katie Brungardt shot rounds of 92 and 83.

Northeastern State won the team title, shooting 34-over (602) for the week. Central Missouri finished second after shooting 605 as a team. Southwestern Oklahoma State (611) finished third. Rosie Klausner of Central Missouri was the individual champion at 4-over par (146).

In the middle of an eight-match win streak, Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer is in the mix for its seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are No. 1 in the first set of NCAA Central Region Rankings, released on Wednesday (Oct. 17). The top two teams in the Central Region are chosen to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers began the year with a pair of wins against McKendree and by upsetting then No. 3 Rockhurst on the road, before falling to then No. 2 Midwestern State in a neutral site match for their first loss of the season. After the Tigers defeated Metro State in the first meeting between the squads at home, they had a tough stretch on the West Coast after coming back with their second loss of the season (Point Loma Nazarene) and their only tie of the year (Biola) to begin the year 3-2-1 through three weeks of play.

Since the draw to Biola, the Tigers have ripped off an eight-match winning streak including securing the outright MIAA title for the second-consecutive season after defeating No. 17 Northeastern State in overtime.

The No. 2 team in the region, Northeastern State, ended the 2017 campaign for the Tigers. However, the Tigers have swept the season series against the RiverHawks in 2018. The RiverHawks are 9-2-1 on the season and has six matches to play yet in the regular season.

Checking in at No. 3 is Lindenwood, giving the MIAA the top three teams in the region, and Harding University is No. 4. FHSU defeated Lindenwood earlier this year in Hays and the teams meet again in St. Charles on October 28.

Below are the NCAA Central Region Ranking for October 17, 2018.

Rank Team Division II Record In-Region Record
1 Fort Hays State 10-2-1 9-1
2 Northeastern State 9-1-1 8-1-1
3 Lindenwood 7-4-3 7-4-2
4 Harding 7-4-1 7-4-1

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State made noise early by taking the opening set 25-23, but No. 2 ranked Nebraska-Kearney cleaned up mistakes and rolled through the next three sets 25-13, 25-13, and 25-14 to preserve its MIAA standings lead. The Lopers moved to 25-1 overall on the season, 11-1 in the MIAA, while the Tigers moved to 8-16 overall, 2-10 in the MIAA.

Jessica Wood-Atkins Postgame Interview

Neither team could find a lead of more than three points in a very tight first set. UNK had a 22-20 lead before Fort Hays State closed out the opening set on a 5-1 run. Azlyn Cassaday, who had a hot hand in the first set with five kills, triggered the run with a kill. Kendall Schroer of UNK had a kill to make it 23-21, but backed that with an error to pull the Tigers back within one. Setter Lindsey Smith of UNK had a pair of ball handling errors on sets that all the sudden pushed FHSU into the lead and an attack error by MK Wolfe of UNK sealed the 25-23 win for FHSU.

After a seven-error first set, the Lopers played nearly flawless volleyball on the attack the rest of the night. Meanwhile, the Tigers saw a progression downward in net play, committing 26 of their 31 errors in the match over the next three sets. UNK had 14 kills and no attacking errors in the second set, 14 kills again in the third set with just two errors, and then 10 kills with just one error in the fourth set. The Lopers hit .380 over the final three sets (38 kills, 3 errors, 92 attempts), while holding the Tigers to a .000 hitting percentage in that span. FHSU finished at just .046 for the match, while UNK surged to .329 overall.

Azlyn Cassaday had 15 kills, the only Tiger in double figures, while Ashley Webb added eight. Madison Elwood, who saw action late, finished 1.000 on the night with two kills on two swings. However, six Tigers finished with negative hitting percentages on the night. Bre Becker produced 34 assists for the Tigers, while Abby Groth and Taylor White tied with a team-high 13 digs.

Schroer was a force for the Lopers throughout the night, racking up 18 of her match-high 19 kills in the first through third sets. She hit .395 for the match with just four errors on 38 swings. Julianne Jackson hit .317 for the Lopers with 15 kills and just two errors on 41 swings. Anna Squiers finished with a team-high 29 assists for UNK, while Smith added 12. Four Lopers reached double figures in digs, Ellie McDonnel leading the way with 16.

The Tigers get another test against a ranked opponent on Friday night when they host No. 11 ranked Washburn. Match time is set for 6 pm at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

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. 12 in the nation, released Tuesday. The Tigers have now stretched their winning streak to eight matches, the longest streak in four years (9/25/14-10/23/14) when they won nine straight contests.

The Tigers defeated Southwest Baptist (Oct. 12) in an 8-0 shutout. Santiago Agudelo set the FHSU mark for goals (five) and points (ten) in a single match. FHSU then defeated No. 17 ranked Northeastern State on Monday (Oct. 15) to clinch the outright MIAA title after Moritz Walther provided the golden goal in the first overtime on a penalty kick.

The Tigers continue their eight-match win streak with a three-match road swing starting at the University of Mary on Sunday (Oct. 21). The Tigers hold a 4-0-1 overall record against the Marauders all-time.

Below is the United Soccer Coaches Men’s Division II Poll for October 16, 2018.

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

Also receiving votes: West Chester University, Lynn University, Spring Hill College, Georgian Court University, University of West Florida, University of I

HAYS, Kan. – The No. 14 ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team earned their second-consecutive MIAA Championship with a 1-0 golden-goal victory from the foot of sophomore Moritz Walther on a penalty kick in the first overtime period, downing No. 18 ranked Northeastern State on Monday (Oct. 15). The Tigers improved to 11-2-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play, while the RiverHawks dipped to 9-2-1 on the season and 2-2-1 in MIAA play. With the victory, the Tigers mathematically eliminated the other four MIAA programs from contention for the title with two conference matches yet to play.

In a match of two teams that sat among the top three for scoring offense in the nation, neither team was able to create many scoring opportunities in the first period. The first shot of the match came at the 12:38 mark, from NSU defender Ben Watson. The Tigers were able to create a few scoring chances with five corner kicks in the first 45 minutes of play.

Heading into intermission scoreless, the Tigers outshot the RiverHawks 6-1. Alonso Rodriguez led FHSU with two shot attempts at the break. The second half was much of the same, however, the Tigers held an 8-0 edge in shots. FHSU could not take advantage of those attempts with the stifling defense of Northeastern State. Not even 90 minutes would decide a winner between conference foes.

At the 92:22 mark in the first overtime period, RiverHawk defender James Doyle was awarded his second yellow card of the match after tackling Sergio Villalba in the box. Doyle was immediately ejected and the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick. Moritz Walther took the penalty kick and outdueled the NSU goalkeeper to the right of the net and won the match on a golden goal. This was Walther’s second score of the season.

Fort Hays State earned their second-consecutive MIAA title with the victory, with two conference games to spare. Fernando Pina earned the win in goal for the Tigers, improving his overall record to 5-0-1 on the season. Santiago Agudelo led the offensive side for the Tigers, with four shots in the match, including three on frame. Villalba, Walther and Rodriguez each took three shots in the contest. The Tigers outshot the RiverHawks 15-1 in the match.

The Tigers are back in action on Sunday (Oct. 21) as they travel north to Bismarck, N.D. to battle University of Mary for a non-conference tilt. Kickoff against the Marauders is slated for 3:30 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior quarterback Jacob Mezera earned MIAA Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week honors on Monday (Oct. 15) for his efforts in the 50-21 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday.

Mezera was efficient on his nine pass completions against Pittsburg State, throwing for 231 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 25.7 yards per pass. Mezera broke the FHSU career records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in the game, now with 7,083 yards and 56 touchdowns in his career. On the first play of the game, Mezera found Harley Hazlett for a 75-yard touchdown pass, giving FHSU a 7-0 lead just 13 seconds into the game. In the second quarter, he found tight end Matt Wendelberger for a 59-yard touchdown pass, pushing the Tigers into the lead for good at 19-14. It started a run of 31 unanswered points by the Tigers in the game. His third touchdown came on a 34-yard pass in the third quarter to Layne Bieberle, who outran his defender to catch the ball in the endzone and push the Tiger lead to 36-14.

Joining Mezera for Offensive Athlete of the Week honors is quarterback Braxton Marstall of Emporia State. Parker Bass, defensive lineman from Emporia State, earned the Defensive Athlete of the Week award, while defensive back D’Harius Brown of Lindenwood earned Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors.

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State remained in the receiving votes section of the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Oct. 15). The Tigers are the second-highest receiving votes team with 52 votes this week. Fort Hays State knocked Pittsburg State out of the Top 25 with their head-to-head result this past Saturday. The Gorillas are now receiving 36 votes in the poll.

Northwest Missouri State is now the only MIAA team in the Top 25, moving up to No. 11 this week with a record of 6-1. Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Emporia State, and Central Oklahoma are all receiving votes in this week’s poll. Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State are both 5-2 overall, while ESU and UCO are both 4-3.

Fort Hays State travels north to play a much-improved Nebraska-Kearney team this Saturday that owns a record of 4-3.

Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll for October 15, 2018.

Rank School (1st votes) Record Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1. Minnesota St. (28) 7-0 818 1 D. Minot St. (N.D.), 62-13 Oct. 20 at Bemidji St. (Minn.)
2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (5) 7-0 797 3 D. No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 35-31 Oct. 20 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
3. West Georgia 7-0 753 4 D. No. 10 West Florida, 27-7 Oct. 20 vs. West Alabama
4. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 7-0 688 5 D. Oklahoma Baptist, 58-21 Oct. 18 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.)
5. Minnesota-Duluth 7-0 661 6 D. Southwest Minnesota St., 42-13 Oct. 20 at Winona St. (Minn.)
6. Colorado School of Mines 7-0 615 9 D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 44-14 Oct. 20 vs. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
7. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 7-0 612 8 D. Florida Tech, 51-21 Oct. 20 vs. North Greenville (S.C.)
8. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 6-1 580 2 Lost to No. 3 Ferris St. (Mich.), 35-31 Oct. 20 at Davenport (Mich.)
9. Tarleton St. (Texas) 6-0 523 16 D. No. 7 Texas A&M-Commerce, 47-21 Oct. 20 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 6-1 506 12 D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 69-14 Oct. 27 vs. No. 9 Tarleton St. (Texas)
11. Northwest Missouri St. 6-1 495 13 D. Nebraska-Kearney, 27-13 Oct. 20 at Lindenwood (Mo.)
12. West Chester (Pa.) 6-0 489 11 Idle Oct. 20 at East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
13. Colorado St.-Pueblo 6-1 445 14 D. Colorado Mesa, 36-14 Oct. 20 at Adams St. (Colo.)
14. Notre Dame (Ohio) 7-0 392 17 D. Urbana (Ohio), 45-14 Oct. 20 at West Virginia Wesleyan
15. Kutztown (Pa.) 6-0 330 19 D. Lock Haven (Pa.), 41-0 Oct. 20 at Shippensburg (Pa.)
16. Indianapolis (Ind.) 5-1 268 20 D. Quincy (Ill.), 35-7 Oct. 20 vs. McKendree (Ill.)
17. Tiffin (Ohio) 7-0 259 22 D. Kentucky Wesleyan, 43-17 Oct. 20 vs. No. 25 Ohio Dominican
18. Texas A&M-Commerce 5-2 215 7 Lost to No. 16 Tarleton St. (Texas), 47-21 Oct. 20 at Western New Mexico
19. West Florida 5-2 206 10 Lost to No. 4 West Georgia, 27-7 Oct. 20 vs. Florida Tech
20. LIU-Post (N.Y.) 6-0 186 25 D. St. Anselm (N.H.), 37-6 Oct. 20 vs. Pace (N.Y.)
21. Central Washington 5-2 174 21 D. Western Oregon, 48-10 Oct. 20 vs. Simon Fraser (B.C.)
22. Southern Arkansas 6-1 136 15 Lost to Southeastern Oklahoma St., 21-0 Oct. 20 vs. East Central (Okla.)
23. Indiana (Pa.) 5-2 102 23 D. Clarion (Pa.), 24-23 Oct. 20 at Gannon (Pa.)
24. Harding (Ark.) 5-2 94 24 D. Southwestern Oklahoma St., 50-10 Oct. 20 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma St.
25. Ohio Dominican 6-1 89 NR D. Malone (Ohio), 57-17 Oct. 20 at No. 17 Tiffin (Ohio)
Others Receiving Votes: Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 68; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 52; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 38; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 36; Hillsdale (Mich.), 24; West Texas A&M, 20; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 19; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 13; Virginia Union, 8; Morehouse (Ga.), 6; Emporia St. (Kan.), 3; Central Oklahoma, 2; Davenport (Mich.), 1; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 1; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 1.