Fort Hays State Men's Soccer enters postseason play this week as they host the 2026 GAC/MIAA Tournament in Hays. Semifinal matches are on Thursday (Nov. 5). The 12^th-ranked Tigers take on Southern Nazarene at 3 p.m., then Rogers State faces Northeastern State at 6 p.m. Championship match of the tournament will be on Saturday (Nov. 7) at noon. The Tigers enter at 13-2-3 overall and went 11-0-1 in GAC regular season play, while Southern Nazarene is 8-7-2 overall and 5-5-2 in the GAC.

How to Watch
All contests for the tournament are on The MIAA Network and The GAC Network. All are free to view.

Tournament Schedule
Thursday, November 5
3 p.m. - Semifinal 1 - (1) Fort Hays State vs. (4) Southern Nazarene
6 p.m. - Semifinal 2 - (2) Rogers State vs. (3) Northeastern State

Saturday, November 7
12 p.m. - Championship - Winners of semifinal matches

Tigers Unbeaten in Six Straight vs. Southern Nazarene
Fort Hays State is 4-0-2 in its last five matches against Southern Nazarene. FHSU won both meetings against SNU in the regular season, a 3-0 result in Bethany and a 4-0 result to end the regular season last week in Hays. For the meeting in Bethany earlier in the year, the Tigers were ranked No. 13, while the Crimson Storm was No. 21.
 
Another Unbeaten Conference Regular Season
Fort Hays State went 11-0-1 in conference play for the second-straight year. Last year, the Tigers became the first team in GAC men's soccer history to navigate a conference regular season slate unbeaten for an NCAA championship season (Rogers State went 4-0-2 in the abbreviated COVID-19 spring season of 2020-21 when there was no NCAA postseason play).
 
Tigers No. 12 in National Poll
Fort Hays State is ranked No. 12 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Tigers have been in the Top 25 of every poll so far this season, which includes the preseason and 10 regular season polls. FHSU has been in the top 25 of the national rankings for 26-straight polls going back to the 2024 season, which is a new program record for most in a row. They have been in the top 10 twice this year, which included the preseason poll (No. 3) and the October 27 poll (No. 9).

Tigers Clinch Second-Straight GAC Regular Season Title
Fort Hays State clinched the GAC regular season title and the right to host the GAC Championship Tournament with a 3-0 win over Ouachita Baptist back on October 22. It was FHSU's fifth conference regular season title overall and third as members of the GAC (2019, 2025, 2026). The Tigers also won regular season titles in the MIAA in 2017 and 2018.
 
Tigers 3rd in NCAA NPI Rankings for Super Region 3
Fort Hays State is currently the only team from the GAC in the top-10 of the NCAA NPI rankings in Super Region 3. In the fourth Monday release of the rankings earlier this week, FHSU remained 3^rd in the rankings. NPI rankings are a new system the NCAA is using in place of the previous regional rankings system used for several years in NCAA Division II. The NCAA Power Index, or NPI, is a ranking system used in Division II and Division III to evaluate team performance. NPI considers game results and the strength of opponents to calculate a team's NPI value and ranking. NPI calculations update throughout the season as teams continue to play game and opponent NPI values change. A team's final NPI is not determined until the final games and rankings of the season are complete.
 
Players of the Week
FHSU had 11 GAC Player of the Week honors this season. Payton Roehrich was the Goalkeeper of the Week five times this season (Sept. 8, 22, 29, Oct. 13, 20). Juan Linares was the Offensive Player of the Week twice (Sept. 22, Oct. 27), while Francisco Degiorgi (Sept. 1) and Len Valkema (Nov. 2) were Offensive Players of the Week once. Kuan-Yi Li (Oct. 20) and Tom Vincent (Nov. 2) each earned Defensive Player of the Week honors once.
 
GAC Points Leaders
Midfielder Juan Linares leads FHSU and the GAC in points with 24 this season (9 goals, 6 assists). Linares is tied for the GAC lead in goals with teammate Len Valkema, both with 9. Valkema ranks second in the GAC in points with 22, but leads the conference in points per match (1.38).
 
GAC Assist Leaders
Francisco Degiorgi and Juan Linares lead the Tigers in assists this season, accounting for 12 of the team's 33 assists. Degiorgi and Linares both have six assists for the season, which leads the GAC. Len Valkema and Mathis Gaultier each have four, while Mario Leal Vales, Julius Petersson, and Kuan-Yi Li all have two assists for the Tigers this season.
 
Strong Between the Pipes
Payton Roehrich continues to produce strong numbers in goal. He holds a 0.41 goals against average for the season and an .848 save percentage. He ranks third nationally in goals against average and sixth in save percentage. He was named the GAC Goalkeeper of the Week five times this season.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Southern Nazarene
-The Crimson Storm is 8-7-2 overall and went 5-5-2 in the GAC regular season standings with 17 points, earning the No. 4 seed in the GAC Tournament.
-Wesley Rodriguez leads SNU in points with 12, all generated on his team-leading 6 goals for the season.
-Aimar Aramendia has a 1.65 goals against average and .701 save percentage this season in goal.
-Trevor Harmon is in his ninth season leading SNU and has an overall record of 75-69-16.
 
Rogers State
-The Hillcats are 9-4-5 overall and went 5-3-4 in the GAC regular season standings with 19 points, earning the No. 2 seed in the GAC Tournament.
-Louis Bassett and Brandon O'Rourke are tied for the team lead in points, each with 12.
-Tristan Miller holds a 0.82 goals against average and .794 save percentage for the season.
-Jake Simpson is in his second season leading RSU and has an overall record of 23-8-10.
 
Northeastern State
-The RiverHawks are 7-9-1 overall and went 6-5-1 in the GAC regular season standings with 19 points, earning the No. 3 seed in the GAC Tournament.
-Carter Adams leads NSU in points with 13 for the season (5 goals, 3 assists).
-NSU goalkeepers Victor Jaunay and Cameron McCulloch are virtually identical in their season numbers. Both have 33 saves, a .717 save percentage, and 13 goals against for the season. Jaunay is slightly better in goals against average at 1.50.
-Jake Simpson is in his 16th season leading NSU and has an overall record of 157-99-32.