FHSU Sports Information
Postseason play begins this weekend for the Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer program at the MIAA Tournament in Olathe, Kan. Second-seeded FHSU takes on third-seeded Lindenwood on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. All tournament games will be held at the College Boulevard Activities Complex.
FHSU will look to return to its winning ways in the tournament after going 0-1-1 in the final week of the regular season to finish the year at 11-4-3 overall and 8-2-2 in MIAA play. Sunday’s loss to West Texas A&M had no impact on the Tigers conference standing, but snapped an 11-game unbeaten streak FHSU had been riding.
After the regular season, the Tigers rank second in the MIAA in points (140), goals (46) and assists (48) and goals allowed (17), combining for a team goals against average of 0.91 (which is also second in the conference). FHSU’s offense is just one goal behind top scoring Northeastern State, which is seeded first in the MIAA Tournament.
The Tigers have been red-hot in the second of the regular season, and sport a lineup of seven players with double-digit points on the year. Tanner Brock (six goals, six assists) and Diego Cabral (four goals, 10 assists) lead the squad with 18 points, while Austin Clifton with five goals and five assists (15 points). Michael Cole, Joe Albright and Anthony Hernandez have each scored five goals, as Cole and Albright have three assists and Hernandez has two assists.
Defensively, the Tigers’ Eric Hymer is one of two Tigers to start all 18 games for FHSU, joining Cabral in that category. Hymer leads the team in minutes played (1,649), teaming with Carlos Linares (17 starts, 1,487 minutes plated) and Drew Wilson (16 starts, 1,490 minutes played) to anchor a Tiger defense that allows just 13.3 shots per game and only 92 shots on goal for the season.
In the net, Kent Freund has played in 16 contests, starting 14 and leading all goalkeepers with 1,453 minutes in goal. Freund’s 0.93 goals against average ranks second in the conference as he has picked up 64 saves on the year.
Lindenwood (9-6-3, 7-4-1 MIAA) won its final two games of the season and four of its last six. FHSU has defeated LWU twice this season, picking up a dominant 8-0 win over the Lions at FHSU Soccer Stadium before grabbing a 2-1 overtime win against LWU in St. Charles, Mo. Mitchell Hunt (14 points) and Alfreo Paez (13 points) lead the Lindenwood scorers with six goals on the year, as Hunt has two assists and Paez has one. Andre Hayne’s 10 points (five goals) is third on the team. Goalkeeper Andrew Hamerlink has 44 saves on the year, posting four shutouts with 21 goals allowed (1.36 goals against average).
The winner of Thursday’s contest will advance to the MIAA Tournament Championship on Saturday, Nov. 8 to face the winner of NSU and No. 4 seed Upper Iowa. Game time for the final match is 11 a.m.