HAYS, Kan. – After a two-game losing-skid, the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team got back on track as they defeated Nebraska-Kearney 1-0 at home. The Tigers avenged an early season loss to the Lopers with the win, and improve to 9-5-3 overall and 6-3-1 in MIAA play. The win also helped the Tigers secure the No. 4 seed and an MIAA Conference Tournament match on their home field next Wednesday (Nov. 1) at 7 p.m.

Both teams heading to the locker room scoreless after the first half as neither team was able to net a goal in the first 45 minutes. The blistering cold added another level to the match as the players tried to keep their legs warm in an effort to score. Only three shots were taken in the first half with the Tigers attempting just one compared to two from the Lopers. Neither goalie on the field was able to collect a save as all shots soared past outside the goal.

With the second half underway, the Tigers got their offensive minds working as they were able to outshoot Nebraska-Kearney 13-2 in the final period. Just ten minutes into the half, Jasmine Beaulieu netted her second goal of the season off a double-assist from Eden Stoddard and Olympia Katsouridis. The ball slipt past Ali Hirschman on the right to put the Tigers up 1-0 over the Lopers. This goal would go on to be the game-winner as UNK was unable to hit the back of the net from either of their two attempts.

With the win, the Tigers break their two-match losing streak and pick up their ninth win this season. Senior goalkeeper Kristen Thompson earned the win in net and improves to 6-3-1 as the anchor for the Tigers this season. Thompson has a team-leading 41 saves in her 10 matches played this year. Hirschman gets the loss for the Lopers in net, and drops to 3-9-2 on the year. Hirschman accounted for the only five saves from any goalie to participate in the match.

The Tigers sent their five seniors out in style with the win as Stoddard, Thompson, Beaulieu, Baylie Schmitz and Silvana Romero all walked away with a win in their final regular-season home match as FHSU soccer players. The seniors now boast a cumulative record of 48-23-9 overall with the victory tonight.

The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday (Oct. 29) in their final regular-season match of 2017 as they travel east to Washburn. Earlier this season, the Ichabods defeated the Tigers 1-0. After that contest, the Tigers will enter the MIAA conference tournament as the No. 4 seed on Wednesday as the first-round gets underway at 7 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s soccer team outlasted bitter conditions as they defeated the Upper Iowa peacocks 5-2 on Thursday evening. The Tigers improved to 9-5-2 overall and 6-1 in MIAA play as the Peacocks dipped to 5-9 on the year and 0-6 in conference play.

It didn’t take long for the Tigers to get on the board as Fort Hays State utilized the brisk wind behind their backs and junior Tobias Patino connected on a pass to Derick Gonzalez who then set up Abdoulaye Cisse to score the first goal of the game in the ninth minute. Cisse scored his eighth goal of the season and Gonzalez kept his team record streak of consecutive matches tallying a point alive with his 12th assist on the year.

The Tigers went into halftime with a little help from the Peacocks as they scored an own goal in the 45th minute to push the Tiger lead to 2-0. With the wind advantage, the Tigers were able to get 11 shots and five shots on goal in the first period.

The Peacocks were determined to get on the board out of the break with the wind at their backs and got what they ordered. Upper Iowa scored their first goal of the match in the 50th minute as Efrain Gonzalez, Jr set up Italo Martins with a through ball that Martins lobbed over the head of Michael Yantz and found the back of the net to cut the Tiger lead in half, 2-1.

After a sequence of four straight shots from Brian Ness, Benji Granillo, Raul Fierro and Granillo again, Gonzalez was able to sneak one past the keeper for his team-leading ninth goal of the season on the rebound from Granillo’s blocked shot to give the Tigers the 3-1 advantage in the 61st minute. The Peacocks were able to find a hole in the Tiger defense to cut into the lead once again roughly two minutes later on a flick off of a corner kick delivery from Ryan Crabtree with Tate Lofdahl scoring his first goal of the season.

The Tigers struck again in the 72nd minute of the match when Nathan De La Hoya, Gonzalez and Ness dribbled the ball between each other in the box and Ness took advantage and delivered a strike in the back left corner of the net doubling the Tigers lead to 4-2. Ness picked up his second goal of the season and Gonzalez added another assist to his increase his season total to 13 and now owning the season record for most assists in year in program history.

FHSU was not done on this blustery fall night as Fierro earned his seventh score of the year on a blocked shot attempt from Luis Mendez that beat keeper Connor Rortvedt and gave the Tigers the 5-2 lead in the 88th minute.

Yantz earned the victory in goal for the Tigers tonight as he improved his overall record to 7-4-2 on the season. Fort Hays State outshot Upper Iowa 27 to 6 in the match, with a 16-5 advantage of shots on frame.

The Tigers are back in action on Sunday (Oct. 29) as they host the Lindenwood Lions for at least a share of the conference title with a win. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team was picked third in the 2017-18 MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released on Wednesday (Oct.25).

Nebraska-Kearney tops the poll as the favorite to win. The Lopers, the MIAA Tournament champion five straight years, received four first-place votes just ahead of Central Oklahoma, the defending MIAA dual champion, which received the other two first-place votes. Lindenwood was tabbed fourth and rounding out the final two spots are Central Missouri and Newman.

It will be a young team again for the Tigers as they have several new wrestlers looking to shine on the mat. Returning this year is All-American sophomore Brandon Ball who finished sixth at the NCAA Championships last season. Also returning are a pair of sophomores, Greg Tooley and Christian Lance, who reached the NCAA Championships but dropped out one round before qualifying for All-American status.

The Tigers will open up the season with the annual Black and Gold scrimmage on Thursday (Nov. 2) at 7 p.m.

Below is the complete MIAA preseason poll:

2017-18 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Nebraska-Kearney (4) 24
2. Central Oklahoma (2) 22
3. Fort Hays State 16
4. Lindenwood 14
5. Central Missouri 9
6. Newman 5

The Fort Hays State Women’s Soccer team remains at No. 8 in the NCAA Region Rankings released on Wednesday (Oct. 25). The Tigers have claimed the eighth spot in now both set of rankings this season. The Tigers are 8-5-3 overall so far in their first season under head coach Blake Reynolds with just two regular-season MIAA matches remaining.

Fort Hays State remains one of four schools from the MIAA in the top eight of the Central Region rankings. Central Missouri has captured the No. 1 spot for the second-consecutive release at 16-0 overall. Missouri Western moved up to No. 3 at 14-2-0, while Northeastern State slides up to No. 5 at 13-2-0. FHSU defeated Missouri Western earlier this season, but fell recently to Northeastern State. The Tigers also tied the No. 6 team in the region, Augustana (S.D.) in a neutral site match earlier this year. Six teams are selected to compete in the Central Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

Fort Hays State advanced to the Central Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament last year, where it faced Central Missouri. The Tigers and Jennies were co-champs of the MIAA last year in the regular season.

Below are the NCAA Central Region Rankings for October 25, 2017.

Rank Team Division II Record In-Region Record
1 Central Missouri 16-0-0 16-0-0
2 Bemidji State 13-0-2 13-0-2
3 Missouri Western 14-2-0 14-2-0
4 Minnesota State 13-2-1 13-2-1
5 Northeastern State 13-2-0 13-2-0
6 Augustana (S.D.) 10-2-4 10-2-4
7 Oklahoma Baptist 11-1-2 11-1-2
8 Fort Hays State 8-5-3 8-5-3

KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State fell in straight sets at No. 7 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday evening (Oct. 24). The Lopers took the match by scores of 25-18, 25-21, and 25-15 to remain on top of the MIAA standings, moving to 24-2 overall and 11-1 in the MIAA. FHSU moved to 10-16 overall and 2-10 in the MIAA.

The Tigers held small leads several times early in the first set, but with the score tied 12-12 the Lopers went on a 7-1 burst to take a comfortable lead. UNK cruised the remainder of the set, outhitting FHSU .222 to .093.

Another 7-1 run by the Lopers early in the second set put the Tigers at arm’s length. UNK maintained the comfortable margin nearly the entire set, leading by as many as seven points a couple times before FHSU made a late push, but it was too little, too late though. FHSU went on a 4-0 run to make it 24-21 before UNK collected the clinching point of the set.

The Tigers kept the third set close early, tying the Lopers at 6-6 and pulling within one at 12-11. However, UNK closed out the match on a 13-4 run, scoring the final four points of the match.

Kylie Rollman had a big match for the Tigers, producing a .481 hitting percentage on 15 kills. She had just two errors in 27 attempts. Magan Alexander chipped in seven kills. Amirah Bentley led the Tigers in assists with 19, though Becca Page took over the setting duties in the third set and produced nine. Taylor White was the only Tiger to reach double figures in digs with 21, averaging seven per set.

For UNK, Kendall Schroer led the way with 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .355. Julianne Jackson added 10 kills, while Anna Squiers was very efficient hitting .615 with nine kills and just one error on 13 attempts. Lindsey Smith churned out 36 assists, while Ellie McDonnell led four players that reached double figures in digs with 14.

The Tigers continue their road swing in Topeka on Saturday (Oct. 28). The Tigers will take on Washburn in conference play at 1 pm before staying at Lee Arena and playing a non-conference match immediately following against Oklahoma Baptist at 3 pm. FHSU defeated Oklahoma Baptist 3-0 at the MIAA-GAC Crossover Tournament in Bethany, Oklahoma earlier this year.