By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
WICHITA, Kan. – In their final regular-season matchup of the year, the Fort Hays State men’s soccer team delivered a strong performance defeating Newman 3-1 on Thursday (Nov. 7). With the win, the Tigers finished the regular season with an 11-3-3 overall record and an 8-2-2 mark in conference play.
The win gave FHSU 11 wins in a season for the 11th time in the program’s 14-year history. The Tigers have never had a losing season in the program’s entire history and it will remain that way following this year.
The Tigers set the tone early by striking first in the eighth minute. A well-executed set piece saw defender Marcos German rise above the Newman defense to head in a perfectly placed cross. Tadhg Walsh sent the ball into the box on a corner kick, Lazar Pavlovic sent a header pass back across the box to the head of German. The contribution from Walsh pushed his national lead in assists to 14 and tied him for the most assists in a single-season by a Fort Hays State player, joining Derick Gonzalez who set the standard in 2017.
Fort Hays State carried its 1-0 lead into halftime, but wasted no time adding to the lead early in the second half. Forward Elias Ovelar Semeniuk found the back of the net with a composed finish off an assisted from Fabian Gylden Svensson. A failed clearance by Newman gave the Tigers the opportunity in at close range. Walsh put the finishing touches on the goal scoring for FHSU in the 59th minute off a pass from Ovelar Semeniuk. The goal was Walsh’s fourth of the season, complementing his impressive assist tally, which now has him at 22 points for the season to lead the team.
The Jets provided a bit of resistance in the 64th minute when Gael Gonzalez scored. However, FHSU’s defense anchored by goalkeeper Ben Dixon held firm for the remainder of the match. Dixon made three saves to hold the Jets at bay and earn the win.
Fort Hays State led the match with 14 shots, including six on target, compared to Newman’s 12 shots with four on goal.
For the time being, Fort Hays State leads the GAC standings with 26 points, but both Rogers State and Southern Nazarene play on Saturday looking to jump the Tigers in the standings. The only way FHSU could still be the No. 1 seed and host the GAC Tournament would be if both teams lose or tie on Saturday. FHSU at least knows it will be one of the top three seeds in the four-time GAC Tournament, set to start next Thursday (Nov. 14).