With the MIAA regular season now in full-gear, the Fort Hays State women's soccer team is set to play host to two conference opponents this weekend as it looks to continue its winning ways in the MIAA. On Friday (Sept. 29), the Tigers kick-off against Lindenwood at 7 p.m., followed by a Sunday afternoon match at 1 p.m. against No. 4 Central Missouri.
In their last time on the pitch, the Tigers defeated the Hornets of Emporia State for the second time in a week, with this match counting for MIAA play. Fort Hays State sealed a 2-0 win over Emporia State to start the conference season at 1-0. Overall, the Tigers are 4-2-2 in the early season.
The Tigers continue to be led by senior
Eden Stoddard who now has six goals, good for No. 5 in the MIAA.
Kylie Thomas is second on the team with two goals, while five other Tigers have netted one goal.
Kristen Thompson also continues to anchor the squad as she has 25 saves on her stat line, which ranks her No. 4 in the MIAA. Sophomore
Darby Hirsch has been a big help to her teammates as she leads the team in assists with four, putting her at No. 2 in the MIAA in both assists per game and total assists.Â
The first opponent for the Tigers this week will be Lindenwood who brings in a 3-5 overall record. The Lions dropped their first MIAA match to then-No. 24 Missouri Western State in a 2-0 shutout. Lindenwood is currently on a four-game losing skid, with its last victory coming to Missouri S&T in a 1-0 win on September 12. Last season, the Tigers defeated the Lions 1-0 on the road to claim the only victory between the two in 2016.Â
Three Lions have two goals to their name, including Becky Roberts, Kyleigh Kristensen and Alyssa Houck. All three also have one game-winning goal on their stat line to give the Lions their three victories so far this season. Lindenwood has been outscored 9-17 in their first eight matches, and outshot 95-112. Mary McGilvray has been the reoccurring player behind the net for the Lions, as she holds a 3-5 record with 52 saves under her belt.Â
The No. 3 ranked and undefeated Central Missouri Jennies make their appearance in Hays on Sunday boasting their 8-0 record. Prior to their season-ending loss at the end of 2016, the Jennies last loss came nearly a year ago on Oct. 7 to Central Oklahoma. Central Missouri and FHSU met three times last season with the Jennies claiming all contests, including a 1-0 win in the NCAA National Tournament. Ultimately, the Jennies fell in the national quarterfinals.Â
The Jennies have held their opponents scoreless through eight matches, and lead the MIAA in goals with 34. Abby Rhodes, Baylie Edwards and Makayla Toth lead the team with six goals each, and rank No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 in the MIAA in total goals. Ana Dilkes has been steady in the net for the Jennies as she 38 saves to lead the MIAA in the category.
