FHSU Sports Information Department
The No. 20 ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team looks to make a move in the MIAA this weekend with two conference road matches. First the Tigers head to Bolivar, Mo., to take on Southwest Baptist on Friday (Oct. 30) before heading to Tahlequah, Okla., Sunday (Nov. 1) to take on Northeastern State. Currently the Tigers are holding on to an overall record of 10-3-1, and are sitting at 2-1-1 in the MIAA. FHSU currently sits fourth in the conference but has played two fewer conference games than all other teams so far.
Leading the offense for the Tigers is sophomore forward Mauricio Castorino who holds the top spot in the MIAA in goals (10), assists (8), and points (28). Two other Tigers have breached the top five in points as well. Maurizio Costa is in fourth with 15 points (7 goals, 1 assist) and Joe Albright is tied for fifth with 13 (5 goals, 3 assists).
Goalkeeper Michael Yantz has played every minute of every game for the Tigers this season in goal. He is leading the MIAA in shutouts (5) and total wins (10) on the year.
Southwest Baptist is still trying to get in the win column this season with an overall record of 0-14 and MIAA record of 0-6. The Bearcats do have the second leading goal scorer in the MIAA, Garrett Gibson, with 7 goals on the season. The Tigers topped the Bearcats in the first meeting of the season 3-1 back at the beginning of October.
Northeastern State plays a non-conference match on Friday (Oct. 30) against Southern Nazarene before taking on Fort Hays State in a Sunday afternoon matchup at DeLoache Field. The RiverHawks are 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA, placing them third in the conference. Northeastern State has produced two of the top five point leaders in the MIAA this season. Joseph Garcia is second with 17 points (6 goals, 5 assists) and Crosby Lee is tied with for fifth with 13 points (6 goals, 1 assist). The RiverHawks are the only team in the conference to beat the Tigers when they topped FHSU 1-0 in Hays, Kan., on October 4th.