#23 Fort Hays State (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs Colorado State University - Pueblo (0-0, 0-0 RMAC) Friday, September 5, 2014 - 7:30 pm Hays, Kan. - FHSU Soccer Stadium - Days Inn Soccer Classic Live Stats #23 Fort Hays State (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs Drury (0-0, 0-0 GLVC) Sunday, September 5, 2014 - 1:30 pm Hays, Kan. - FHSU Soccer Stadium - Days Inn Soccer Classic Live Stats

Days Inn Soccer Classic
 
No. 23 Fort Hays State hosts the Days Inn Soccer Classic this weekend in Hays, Kan., inviting Colorado State-Pueblo, Drury and Lubbock Christian to FHSU Soccer Stadium.  FHSU will face CSU-Pueblo on Friday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m., and close the event against Drury on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
 
The Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season in 2013, reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Super Region 3 bracket.  FHSU was 12-5-3 last year under head coach Brett Parker and is poised to continue its success, sporting a roster of 14 newcomers and 21 returners, nine of which started at least 17 games last year.
 
Diego Cabral, an All-American honorable mention last year, is the top offensive returner for the Tigers, leading the team with seven assists last season while adding eight goals and 23 points (second on the team). 
 
Cabral is joined by Tanner Brock, Kent Freund, Eric Hymer and Carlos Linares as seniors on an experienced staff in search of their first MIAA Championship.
 
Brock (three assists, 1,797 minutes in 2013), and Cabral anchor a group of midfielders with two returners – Anthony Hernandez and Kyle Markovits – looking to insert themselves into the rotation.  Hernandez appeared in 16 games last year while Markovits saw time in eight contests.
 
Sophomore Damion Cooper and junior Michael Cole return as forwards for the Tigers in 2014, joining newcomers Mauricio Castorino and Maurizio Costa, both from Asuncion, Paraguay, as offensive weapons expected to play a significant role throughout the season. 
 
Cooper scored once last year in 14 appearances, while Cole was fourth on the team with five goals and 11 points (one assist). 
 
Defensively, Hymer, Linares, junior Addison Pauler and sophomore Drew Wilson played a majority of the backfield minutes for the Tigers last year and return to anchor the most experienced position group.  Expected to see more time on defense this season is redshirt sophomore Austin Williams and redshirt freshman Killian Gorman.
 
2013 MIAA Freshman of the Year, Jason Babyak is expected to share time in goal with Freund.  The pair combined to hold opponents to 20 goals.  Babyak put together six shutouts and saves 53 shots, while Freund allowed 0.80 goals per game and had three shutouts.
 
CSU-Pueblo went 14-13-1 last year, and are led offensively by Jonny Sawyer, who returns after scoring four goals (eight points) last year, second on the team in both categories. In the net, Sam Haseltine is back after allowing 43 goals with 107 saves in 17 starts last year.
 
Drury's top offensive returner, Nick Ammann, scored seven goals and had three assists (17) while Brett Steere is back after scoring six goals in 2013.  Goalkeeper Blake Andrews, who started 19 games for the Panthers, allowing 18 goals with 54 saves.  Drury went 13-7-0 last year, reaching the semifinals of the GLVC Tournament.