By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
BETHANY, Okla. – In a thrilling semifinal clash GAC/MIAA Men’s Soccer Tournament Semifinal, No. 3 seed Fort Hays State and No. 2 seed Rogers State played to a 3-3 draw on Thursday evening (Nov. 14). With 110 minutes not enough to determine an advancing team, the Tigers triumphed 7-6 in a dramatic penalty kick shootout to move on to the championship match on Saturday. The match officially goes on record as a tie, moving FHSU to 11-3-4 overall and RSU to 8-5-6 overall.
The match kicked off with high intensity, as both teams came out with strong energy. Rogers State struck first in the 15th minute when the Tigers were called for a foul inside the box, leading to a penalty kick converted by Marcos Vasallo. After about another 15 minutes passed, the Tigers leveled the match 33rd minute when Dimitry Tchantcheu showcased his scoring touch, burying a shot inside the box off a well-placed pass from Tadhg Walsh.
The second half was an even more action-packed affair, with both teams trading blows in a thrilling display of attacking soccer. Just three minutes after the break, the Tigers grabbed their first lead of the match when Jeremiah Johnson struck from the top of the box in the 49th minute, sending a powerful shot past Rogers State goalkeeper Declan Viljoen. However, FHSU’s lead was short-lived as RSU responded in the 54th minute when Artur Carvalho headed home a well-executed corner kick, leveling the score at 2-2. Riding this momentum, Rogers State found the net again in the 64th minute through Noah Preston-Watkins, who finished off a counter-attack to put the Hillcats ahead 3-2.
With time ticking away and pressure mounting, the Tigers leveled the match once more in the 77th minute when Lucas Garay netted a goal on a touch off a crossing pass from Anders Sandsto. The late equalizer reignited the Tigers, dominating possession in the final minutes of regulation. However, despite a relentless effort, they were unable to find the game-winner, and the match headed into extra time.
In the two overtime periods, both teams had their chances, but fatigue and defensive resilience kept the scoreline unchanged. Fort Hays State continued to press forward, unleashing a total of 23 shots throughout the match, with 14 on target, while Rogers State managed 14 shots with 10 on goal.
With the score still deadlocked after double overtime, the semifinal showdown came down to a dramatic penalty shootout. In a captivating sequence of shots, the Tigers finally prevailed 7-6 when Ben Dixon made his second save of the shootout in the eighth round of shots to end the epic battle. Dixon made his first save in the third round of shots and FHSU led 4-3 through four rounds after makes from Walsh, Elias Ovelar Semeniuk, Felix Tellez Ramirez, and Chris Rios-Cruz, but missed the fifth attempt and RSU leveled the count 4-4 on its fifth shot to force three extra rounds of shots. Garay, Ian Inigo, and Sandsto all converted shots before Dixon stoned Carvalho to end the match.
Leading the offensive charge for the Tigers, Tchantcheu recorded a game-high six shots, while Johnson and Walsh contributed four apiece. For Rogers State, Carvalho led the way with five shots, followed by Vasallo with four.
Both goalkeepers provided tremendous performances for their teams. Dixon was a huge presence for the Tigers, making seven crucial saves throughout the match. On the other end, Viljoen kept the Hillcats in the game with 11 saves, repeatedly denying Fort Hays State’s attempts to secure the victory in regulation.
The Tigers kept their season alive and turn their attention to the championship match on Saturday at 1 p.m., when they will face the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 seed Southern Nazarene and No. 4 seed Newman.