FHSU Athletics

BETHANY, Okla. - The 13th-ranked Fort Hays State men's soccer team earned a convincing 3-0 victory over No. 21 Southern Nazarene on Thursday (Oct. 1), earning another shutout on the road. The Tigers improved to 7-1-2 overall and 5-0 in GAC play with the win, while the Crimson Storm dip to 5-3-1 on the year and 2-1-1 in league play.
 
Including postseason play, Fort Hays State has now won 12 in a row against conference opponents dating back to last October, tied for the longest active streak in Division II. The Tigers' regular season conference unbeaten streak is now 27 in a row, dating back more than two years. FHSU is 24-0-3 in conference during that run. Including the GAC tournament, the Tigers have played 31 consecutive matches against league opponents without a loss (27-0-4), the seventh-longest stretch in Division II men's soccer history.
 
The Tigers are now 3-0 against ranked opponents this season, extending their winning streak against teams in the top 25 to eight.

After applying pressure for the majority of the first half, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute on a Francesco Valenti header off an assist from Francisco Degiorgi. Fort Hays State outshot Southern Nazarene 7-2 in the opening half and held the visitors without a shot on goal.

Despite a 9-6 Crimson Storm edge in shot attempts after halftime, Fort Hays State added two more goals in the second half to secure the victory. Scott Dillon scored in the 66th minute off, finishing off a rebound after a Juan Linares shot to make it 2-0. Davide Francesca extended the lead just three minutes later with a similar goal, scoring off a rebound following a shot from Len Valkema.

FHSU ended the match with a 13-11 edge in shot attempts, while the Crimson Storm held a 7-5 advantage in corner kicks. Payton Roehrich and Marco Rosa each recorded a save in the second half, while Aimar Aramendia finished with four saves for Southern Nazarene.
 
The Tigers will next resume their weather-suspended match with West Texas A&M on Monday (Oct. 5) beginning at 4 p.m. in Dodge City, Kan. The Tigers and Buffs are scoreless in the 51st minute, with the Tigers a man up following a WTAMU red card. FHSU will then return home for a match up against Newman next Thursday (Oct. 8th) with start time of 7 p.m.