Lindenwood Live Stats  I  Match Notes  I  SBU Live Stats Unavailable

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 25-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team has vaulted back into the 2012 NSCAA/Continental Tire Polls, and the team will travel to Missouri for a pair of MIAA contests.
 
The RiverHawks (7-3-1, 4-1-0 MIAA) will meet first-place Lindenwood (7-2-2, 4-0-1 MIAA) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in St. Charles, Mo., for a spot atop the league table. The team will then travel to Bolivar, Mo., for an 11 a.m. match Oct. 13 with Southwest Baptist (2-9-0, 0-5-0 MIAA).

RIVERHAWKS JUMP BACK INTO NATIONAL POLLS
Northeastern State earned a national rank of No. 25 in the latest 2012 NSCAA/Continental Tire Polls released Oct. 9. The RiverHawks are the second-highest ranked team in the MIAA. NSU has now been ranked in four polls this season. Northeastern State was ranked on three different occasions last year, reaching a season-best mark of No. 14 on Sept. 13. NSU was also ranked No. 15 (Oct. 4) and No. 19 (Sept. 27).
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Lindenwood sports a 7-2-2 overall record with a 4-0-1 mark in the MIAA. The Lions are currently atop the league table with 13 points, one clear of both NSU and Fort Hays State. The team has defeated the likes of Southwest Baptist, Upper Iowa, Fort Hays and Southern Nazarene. LU is outscoring opponents 18-8 this year, and the team is tied for 13th in the NCAA in shutout percentage (0.55) and 14th in goals against average (0.68). Azeem Razwan (3g-0a=6p) leads the Lions in scoring, and Eric Olvera (2g-1a=5p) is second. Fermin Hughes (7-2-2, 0.70 GAA, .789 S%) has played in all 11 contests and is the top goalkeeper. He has five shutouts this year. Lindenwood was ranked No. 10 in the nation a week ago, but the team has since fallen out of the national polls and are receiving votes this week.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Southwest Baptist owns a 2-9-0 mark this year with an 0-5-0 MIAA record. The team is coming off its second win of the season, a 2-1 triumph over Central Baptist College, which snapped a nine-match losing skid. SBU will face Harding University two days before its meeting with the RiverHawks. The Bearcats are being outscored 44-11 this season, and they are also being outshot by a 115-50 margin. Karl Dupont (3g-4a=10p) is the leading scorer on the squad, while Kaleb Romero (3g-1a=7p) sits in second. Austin Haywood (1-9-0, 4.30 GAA, .613 S%) is the top goalkeeper, and he is 13th in the NCAA in saves per game at 6.3.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Northeastern State posted an 0-1-1 mark in two non-conference road matchups against ranked opponents last week. The RiverHawks were defeated 1-0 at No. 20 Incarnate Word, which marked the first loss in the regular season for NSU. The Cardinals entered the match averaging 3.3 goals per game, which was sixth in the nation. Northeastern State then fell behind 2-0 at No. 24 Midwestern State, but goals from sophomore forward Juan Peralta brought the road side back to a 2-2 draw. The Mustangs entered the match as the top team in the nation in shutout percentage and one of the top in goals against average before allowing two markers to the RiverHawks.
 
PERALTA LEAVES A MARK
Sophomore forward Juan Peralta had a monster weekend Sept. 28-30 in two shutout victories over Truman State and Upper Iowa. He recorded two goals in each game, which included the game-winner against the Peacocks, and he even had time to dish out an assist against the Bulldogs. He also brought the RiverHawks back from a 2-0 hole at No. 24 Midwestern State Oct. 7 to help give the team a draw. He currently ranks in the top 10 in the MIAA in eight statistical categories. He is first in points (18) and points per game (1.64), second in goals (8) and goals per game (0.73), fifth in shots (32) and shots per game (2.91), fourth in game-winners (2) and ninth in assists (2). He also ranks 14th in the nation in total goals, 20th in goals per game, 29th in total points, and 38th in points per game.
 
PERALTA NAMED MIAA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Juan Peralta was named the MIAA Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week on Oct. 2. The sophomore forward scored four goals and added an assist to help Northeastern State to two shutouts victories against Truman (4-0) and Upper Iowa (3-0). Peralta scored twice in both contests, which included the game-winning strike against UIU. He finished with five total points in the game against the Bulldogs as he had two goals and one assist.
 
WHITE UP THE SCOREBOARD
Senior midfielder Bo White has been a scoring machine so far this season. He has put in nine goals through NSU's first 11 games in 2012, and his 0.82 goals-per-game average is tops in the MIAA and 20th in the nation. He also ranks 14th in the NCAA in total goals, 29th in total points (18) and 38th in points per game (1.7). White leads the MIAA in seven statistical categories. Those are total shots (56), shots per game (5.1), points, points per game (1.6), goals, goals per game (0.8), and game-winning goals (3).
 
SCHMOKING OUT ASSISTS
Sophomore midfielder Jordan Schmoker has been a great distributor in his first season at NSU. He has dished out six assists despite not finding the back of the net. Schmoker is currently 15th in the nation in total assists and 21st in the NCAA in assists per game (0.55). He is second in the MIAA in assists.
 
RIVERHAWKS IN THE MIAA
Northeastern State is currently in the midst of its first year in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The RiverHawks are tied for second in the league table with a 4-1 mark. NSU has defeated Harding (3-1), Southern Nazarene (2-1), Truman State (4-0) and Upper Iowa (3-0). The lone blemish on the card has been to then-No. 15 Fort Hays State, a 3-2 defeat in double overtime.
 
RIVERHAWKS TABBED SECOND IN CENTRAL REGION
The top two teams from each of the eight regions earn automatic bids into the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship at the end of the season. Northeastern State currently sits at No. 2 in the Central Region in the latest polls released by the NSCAA Oct. 9. NSU was in the South Central Region last year before realignment, and the team ended the season ranked No. 8.
 
2012 MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT
The 2012 MIAA Championship will feature the top four teams in the conference. The No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 seed in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Nov. 1, while the No. 1 seed will meet the No. 4 seed at 7 p.m. that same day. The two winners will face off in the conference championship at 11 a.m. Nov. 3. All three games will take place on the Soccer Field Stadium at the Olathe District Activities Center in Olathe, Kan.
 
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