Fort Hays State Men's Soccer is gearing up for a critical set of conference contests this week, beginning with a match at Northeastern State on Thursday (Oct. 31) at 7 p.m., followed by a match with Rogers State on Saturday (Nov. 2) at 1 p.m.

The Tigers enter Thursday with a strong 9-3-2 overall record, including a 6-2-1 mark in conference play. They currently lead the GAC by one point over Southern Nazarene, but Rogers State is only two points back and has one more match to play than FHSU.

Fort Hays State has showcased impressive offensive firepower, netting 12 goals across its last two matches, while holding opponents scoreless in both. Elias Ovelar Semeniuk recently recorded the team's second hat trick of the season, leading the squad with seven goals overall. Midfielder Tadhg Walsh has also been instrumental, currently leading the nation in assists with 12 and pacing the team with 16 points. As a unit, the Tigers have scored 43 goals this season and allowed just 15 across 14 matches. Nationally, FHSU leads in shots per game, averaging 20.43 total shots with 8.43 on goal, while limiting opponents to just 7.4 shots per match and conceding the fewest goals in the GAC.

Northeastern State enters Thursday's matchup with a 2-6-6 overall record and a 2-3-3 mark in conference play. The RiverHawks recently earned a 2-2 draw against the former conference leader Southern Nazarene. Kei Nagakura leads Northeastern State offensively with three goals and one assist. Despite outshooting their opponents, the RiverHawks hold a 12-goal deficit to opponents on the season. The Tigers have the historical edge in this series, standing at 17-9-7, including a decisive 6-1 victory over NSU in their previous meeting this season in Hays.

Rogers State, meanwhile, holds a 5-5-4 record, with a 5-1-2 mark in conference play, and is coming off a loss to No. 17-ranked Southern Nazarene. Before facing the Tigers, the Hillcats will match up against Newman on Thursday (Oct. 31). RSU has tallied 26 goals on 173 shots this season, while their defense has conceded the second-fewest goals in the conference, limiting opponents to 13.3 shots per match. Marcos Vasallo and Noah Preston-Watkins lead the Hillcats offensively, each with four goals.