Harding Live Stats, Live Video  I  Lindenwood Live Stats

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 15-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team is set for a pair of MIAA rematches this weekend. The RiverHawks (9-3, 7-0 MIAA) will first take on Harding (2-5-2, 2-3-1 MIAA) at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in Searcy, Arkansas. NSU will then close out the weekend with a 1 p.m. match Oct. 18 against Lindenwood (6-4-3, 4-2-1 MIAA) at DeLoache Field.
 
Northeastern State is currently riding a 16-match road unbeaten streak of 12-0-4. NSU's last true road loss was a 1-0 setback at Incarnate Word on Oct. 5, 2012. The RiverHawks are 14-0 all-time against Harding and 1-2-1 all-time against Lindenwood. NSU topped the Bisons 4-0 on Sept. 27 and upset the Lions 1-0 on Oct. 4. The win over the Lions snapped their 22-match home unbeaten streak. The last time LWU lost at home before falling to the RiverHawks was Oct. 26, 2011.
 
SCOUTING THE BISONS
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and the athletics programs compete in the Great American Conference. The men's soccer team is an affiliate member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bisons are 2-5-2 overall this season with a 2-3-1 mark in the league. They most recently snapped a three-match losing skid with a big 1-1 draw against Lindenwood. League wins have come against Southern Nazarene and Southwest Baptist. HU is 0-2-1 at home this year. Jacob Stevens leads the side with 11 points (5g-1a), and Cole Walker is second with seven points (3g-1a). Thomas Shults (2-3-0) owns a 2.36 goals-against average and a .606 saves percentage in 495 minutes. Tyler Melson (0-2-2) has started the last three matches for the Bisons, and he owns a 2.36 GAA and a 731 S%.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Lindenwood University is located in St. Charles, Missouri, and is a member of the MIAA. The Lions own a 4-1-1 record since beginning the season 2-3-2, and they sit 6-4-3 overall and 4-2-1 in the MIAA. They most recently defeated Southwest Baptist 1-0 after drawing with Harding and falling to NSU. They also own league victories over Southern Nazarene, Upper Iowa, and a second win over the Bearcats. LWU has been outscored 28-18 through 13 matches this season, and the team is a year removed from conceding 16 goals all year and advancing to the NCAA Championship Quarterfinals. Andre Hayne (5g-1a=11) and Mitchell Hunt (4g-1a=9p) lead the squad in scoring. Eduard Spragge Campo and Ethan Baer (0g-3a) hold the team lead in assists. Andrew Hamerlinck (5-3-3) is the top goalkeeper, and he carries a 1.67 goals-against average and a .655 saves percentage.
 
RANKED NO. 15 AGAIN
Northeastern State remained No. 15 in the nation this week, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday afternoon. The RiverHawks have now been ranked No. 15 each of the last three weeks. NSU is the only team from the Central Region to earn a national rank in all six polls issued by the NSCAA so far this season. Fort Hays State is the only other team from the region that earned a national rank, and the Tigers checked in at No. 25. NSU defeated FHSU 2-1 earlier this season, but the Tigers host the RiverHawks Oct. 26 in a rematch that could decide the MIAA regular-season champion. Northeastern State also remained atop the Central Region rankings for the sixth week in a row. The team defeated Southwest Baptist (3-1) and Upper Iowa (4-1) last week, while also losing to Ouachita Baptist (3-2).
 
WHERE THEY STAND
The MIAA is comprised of seven clubs for men's soccer. Each team plays each other twice during the regular season for a total of 12 matches. The RiverHawks went undefeated through the first half of the campaign, earning one-goal victories over Fort Hays State (2-1), Lindenwood (1-0), Upper Iowa (3-2 OT) and Southern Nazarene (2-1). They also took down Harding (4-0) and Southwest Baptist (3-1). NSU kicked off the back half of the conference slate with a 4-1 home win over the Peacocks Oct. 11. The RiverHawks sit at 7-0 in MIAA play and are currently in control of the league table with 21 points. Not far behind are the streaking Tigers (5-2), who have won six-straight matches and are on 15 points. Lindenwood sits in third with 13 points, and Upper Iowa is fourth on nine points. The top four teams in the league at the end of the regular season will compete in the 2014 MIAA Championship Nov. 6-8 in Olathe, Kansas. HU (2-3-1, 7 points), SNU (2-5, 6 points) and SBU (0-7) are currently on the outside looking in.
 
IN THE NCAA RANKS
Northeastern State is ranked in the top 25 nationally in six categories. The RiverHawks rank ninth in total assists (27), 13th in assists per game (2.25), 14th in total points (83), 17th in both total goals (28) and points per game (6.92), and 25th in scoring offense (2.33). Individually, Jordan Schmoker is tied for first in the nation with 10 assists, and his 0.83 assists per game rank second in the NCAA. He is also 21st in the country in total points (20).
 
SCHMOKER AGAIN BRINGS HOME HARDWARE
Jordan Schmoker was honored as the MIAA Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announcing Tuesday morning. The senior forward from Catoosa, Oklahoma, tied the then-MIAA record for assists in a single match with three in a 4-1 league victory over Upper Iowa this past Saturday. He also scored a goal on a penalty kick earlier in the week against Ouachita Baptist and had a pair of assists against Southwest Baptist to finish with seven points (1g-5a) overall for the RiverHawks. Schmoker is currently first in the nation in total assists (10) and second in the NCAA in assists per game (0.83). He holds the NSU and MIAA records for career assists (33), and he also leads the league in assists and points (20) this season. This was the second time in 2014 that Schmoker has won the weekly honor. He was also named MIAA Athlete of the week on Sept. 9.
 
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