Fort Hays State Men's Soccer is set to open Great American Conference play on Wednesday (Sept. 24) at 7 p.m. against long-time rival Northeastern State. The No. 17 ranked Tigers go into the matchup with a solid 4-0-2 record so far this season.
 
Fort Hays State is averaging 2.5 goals per match through six contests this season. The Tigers have also been impressive defensively, allowing only 0.33 goals per match with just two goals yielded all season. The Tigers have produced shutouts in five of their six matches so far.
 
The Tigers went 2-0 at home last week with a 1-0 victory over Lubbock Christian and a commanding 9-0 win over Jamestown. The nine goals against Jamestown tied the program's single-match record. Elias Ovelar Semeniuk leads the Tigers with five goals, including a hat trick in the most recent outing, which was the second of his career. A total of nine different players have contributed to Fort Hays State's scoring attack, while Mario Leal Vales has anchored the back line and leads the team with three assists. The Tigers are limiting opponents to just 8.0 shots per match, which has helped freshman goalkeeper Payton Roehrich to a 0.37 goals against average and .913 save percentage so far this season.
 
Northeastern State enters at 3-1-2 overall and receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll. The RiverHawks are coming off a 2-1 win over St. Edward's (Texas) and a 1-1 draw against Dallas Baptist. Carter Adams has been their offensive catalyst, recording seven points with three goals and one assist. Adams has scored on three of his five total shots this season, with every attempt on target. Cameron McCulloch has been strong in goal for NSU with a 0.56 goals against average and .864 save percentage with two shutouts.
 
This will be the only match of the week for FHSU before going on a road swing the following week.