HAYS, Kan. - The 20
th-ranked Fort Hays State men's soccer team improved to 11-3-1 overall and 4-1 in the MIAA on Friday (Oct. 28) with a 4-1 win over Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats dropped to 0-14-2 overall and 0-6 in the conference.
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The game served as Senior Night for the six FHSU seniors, who were celebrated at halftime with a brief ceremony. The six seniors honored on the night were
Jose Aguilar,
Michael Cole,
Damion Cooper,
Maurizio Costa,
Tyler VanCamp, and
Drew Wilson.
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Luis Mendez gave the Tigers the lead late in the first half when he recorded his seventh goal of the season at the 33:52 mark. Mendez settled a ball from
Arsenio Chamorro, put a move on a defender and rifled the shot from 15 yards out to beat the diving keeper.
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Just 22 seconds into the second half,
Derick Gonzalez extended the Tiger lead to 2-0 when he scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season. After a loose ball landed at his feet, Gonzalez blasted a shot from 12 yards out that found the back of the net.
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Gabriel Gaviolli cut the Tiger lead in half at the 63:57 mark. Tiger keeper
Jose Aguilar deflected a ball that bounced high into the air and Gaviolli launched himself towards the ball and headed it over the goal line.
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Just over two minutes later at 65:59,
Dylan Kintner again made it a two goal game in favor of the Tigers with his third goal of the season.
Tobias Patino set up Kintner perfectly with a through ball about eight yards out, at which point Kintner sent it easily into the net.
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Michael Cole wrapped up the scoring for FHSU when he recorded his fifth goal of the season. After gaining possession of a ball just inside SBU territory, he turned on the afterburners and it was off to the races. Cole sprinted beyond the last line of the Bearcat defense for a breakaway and sent the ball in to the bottom right hand corner of the net.
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Aguilar picked up his first win in goal, making the first start of his career at FHSU. He made two saves on the night, one was a huge save on a breakaway to help keep the Bearcats at bay.
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The Tigers hit the home pitch one last time in the regular season on Sunday (Oct. 30) when they battle Northeastern State at 1:30 pm.
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