FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
The Fort Hays State women’s soccer team looks to remain on top of the MIAA standings with a pair of road conference matches this week. The Tigers currently find themselves in a four-way tie for the top spot with a 4-1 MIAA record. Northeastern State, Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma are also 4-1.
Head coach Craig Shaw looks for his 100th career coaching win on the trip, currently with 99 overall. Shaw accumulated 40 wins in three seasons as head coach at Ottawa University and has added 59 in his tenure at FHSU.
The Tigers kick off the week when they head to Bolivar, Mo. on Thursday (Oct. 13) for a 4 pm match at Southwest Baptist, before rounding out the week in Joplin, Mo. on Saturday (Oct. 15) with an 11 am match at Missouri Southern.
Overall this season the Tigers are 8-3-1 and are having one of the best seasons in school history. They have outscored opponents 25-6 and have allowed the second-fewest goals in the MIAA. With the 0.48 goals against average, the Tigers are on pace to break the current FHSU record of 0.65 that was set in 2014 when they allowed 13 goals in 20 matches.
Two newcomers, Eden Stoddard and Thalya Dwyer, have played a huge roll in the team’s offensive burst this season. Stoddard is tied for second in the MIAA with seven goals, while Dwyer is tied for fourth with five goals. Junior Kelsey Steffens and freshman Kylie Thomas have also played big rolls in the offense as each has found the back of the net three times this year. The 25 goals scored as a team is just one goal shy of the total goals scored from the 2015 team with six matches remaining in the regular season.
Southwest Baptist enters Thursday’s matchup still looking to get its first win of the season. The Bearcats are currently 0-11 overall and 0-5 in the MIAA. The offense has been tough for SBU this season as they have yet to score more than one goal in a game and have been shut out six times.
Missouri Southern, who is currently 3-7-1 overall and 0-5 in the MIAA will take on Nebraska-Kearney Thursday before welcoming the Tigers to town on Saturday. Taylor LePage and Bailey North lead the Lions with two goals and an assist each. Taylor Beck has been the main distributor for MSSU this season with three assists to her name.