Fort Hays State men's soccer is set for a challenging week of non-conference action. The No. 22 ranked Tigers are 1-0-1 overall for the season, coming off a 2-2 draw at MSU Denver. They face No. 3 ranked CSU Pueblo, also 1-0-1 for the season, in their home opener on Thursday night (Sept. 11) at 6 p.m. FHSU then heads to Columbia, Mo. on Sunday (Sept. 14) for a neutral site match with 1-1 Thomas More (Ky.).
Fort Hays State holds a 3-1 advantage in its all-time series with CSU Pueblo. FHSU won the last meeting in 2022 by a 2-1 count in Hays. CSU Pueblo eventually went on to the national championship match that season, the first of two-straight years they made the national final. The meeting with Thomas More will be the first in program history.
Through two matches, the Tigers have shown encouraging signs offensively.
Juan Linares,
Elias Ovelar Semeniuk, and
Mario Leal Vales each have goals. Leal Vales is the team leader in points with three after an assist on one of the Tiger goals. Collectively, FHSU is averaging 13 shots per contest, while conceding 12 per match.
Bastian Carlman leads the Tigers with 10 total shots, including five on target, while Ovelar Semeniuk ranks second with five attempts and three on frame.
The ThunderWolves enter the matchup 1-0-1 on the season after posting an impressive 17-4-3 record in 2024, advancing to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals before falling to top-ranked Charleston. CSU Pueblo is led offensively by Nick Cenek and Aran Garza with one goal each. The Thunderwolves have yet to yield a goal this season.
The Saints enter the weekend at 1-1 overall, opening the year with a 1-0 loss to Roosevelt University before earning a 1-0 victory at Davenport. Fort Hays State defeated Davenport in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last year by the same count. Thomas More finished 2024 with an 8-9-3 overall record. Ramzi Termanini has the lone goal for the Saints this season.
Live stats and video will be available for both contests this week. The match against CSU Pueblo will be on the MIAA Network, while the neutral match with Thomas More will be streamed by Columbia College, which is where the match is taking place.
