The Fort Hays State men's soccer team looks to keep their conference winning streak intact as they continue their MIAA road trip this weekend. The first match features the Tigers traveling to Bolivar, Mo. to face Southwest Baptist for a Friday (Oct. 13) afternoon kickoff set for 3 p.m. The Tigers will then make their way over to Tahlequah, Okla., to take on Northeastern State at noon on Sunday (Oct. 15).
The Tigers are on a hot streak as they have now won six consecutive matches, four of which were against conference foes. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 23-3 over this stretch of games. FHSU sits seventh in the nation in both assists per game (2.36) and total assists (26). The Tigers are ranked 17th in Division II in points per game with 7.09.
Derick Gonzalez has been the most valuable piece of the puzzle for the Tiger's offense this season as he is tied for the team lead in goals with
Abdoulaye Cisse (six), while also leading the team in assists (nine), points (21) and shots (26). He ranks second in Division II in assists per game (0.73) and is tied for the lead in total assists this season (nine). Gonzalez is determined to keep his team record of nine straight matches with a point streak alive.
Cisse has created a spark in the offense over the past three weeks offensively as he has scored a goal in six straight matches, breaking the previous team mark of five consecutive games and has provided four assists in three of those matches. He has tallied a total of 16 points over that span. The Tigers have 16 different players who have either scored a goal or recorded an assist this season.
The offense is a huge part of this team, but the defense has held up its own end this season as
Luis Torres and
Killian Gorman have logged over 1,000 minutes each on the pitch. Goalkeeper
Michael Yantz continues to climb the ranks in program history as he notched his 12th shutout in his career against Southern Nazarene (Sept. 30). He looks to add to his 5-3-2 overall record this season.
Southwest Baptist welcomes the Tigers with a 1-8 overall record and a 1-3 conference mark. The Bearcats are coming off of their first win this season two weeks ago as they upset Upper Iowa (Sept. 29). Five different Bearcats have scored a goal this season and are looking to avenge their loss to the Tigers earlier this year. Jaydon Charles is the main threat to watch for as he is aggressive offensively by taking 18 shots on the season.
Northeastern State boasts a 7-4 overall record and an MIAA clip of 3-1. The Riverhawks are on a four game winning streak since falling to the Tigers in an overtime match three weeks ago. Joe Garcia is a key player to focus on as he has been tabbed as the conference player of the week each of the last two weeks. Garcia has found the back of the net eight times on the year on 39 shots, including 21 shots on goal. He is second in the conference in goals scored.
