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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 15-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team will look to clinch the MIAA regular-season championship this weekend. The RiverHawks (11-3, 9-0 MIAA) start off with a home tilt against Southern Nazarene (3-10, 2-6 MIAA) at 7 p.m. Oct. 23, and they will then travel to Hays, Kansas, for a noon contest Oct. 26 against No. 24 Fort Hays State (10-3-1, 7-2 MIAA).
 
EYES ON THE PRIZE
Northeastern State is undefeated in MIAA play at 9-0 and could secure the 2014 regular-season conference championship this weekend. NSU has 27 points in the league table, while second-place Fort Hays State has 21 points. A win for the RiverHawks over SNU on Thursday would guarantee NSU no worse than a share of the league title. Even with a loss to the Crimson Storm, a win over the Tigers on Sunday would clinch sole possession of the conference crown and the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Championship tournament. The last time NSU won a conference championship was when they finished in a three-way tie for first in 2003 (Lone Star Conference).
 
Northeastern State is 7-0 all-time against Southern Nazarene and won the first matchup this year 2-1 in Bethany. The RiverHawks are 3-3-3 all-time against FHSU, but they own a 0-2-1 mark in Hays. Each of the last two road meetings went to overtime. Fort Hays State beat NSU 3-2 in the 102nd minute in 2012, and the two squads played to a 0-0 draw last season. Fort Hays State won the three-match series last year 1-0-2, but NSU took the first meeting this season 2-1 in Tahlequah.
 
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON STORM
Southern Nazarene University is located Bethany, Oklahoma. The Crimson Storm athletics programs are members of the Great American Conference. The men's soccer program is an affiliate member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. SNU is 3-10 overall this season and 2-6 in the MIAA. The Crimson Storm currently has six points in league play. They are six points shy of fourth place and a spot in the league tournament. The team is being outscored 39-22 this season. Edgar Pineda leads the squad in scoring at 18 points (8g-2a). Blake Rodgers (5g-1a=11p) also has double-digit points. Ismael Fernandez (0g-3a=3p) leads SNU in assists. Jeff Ray (3-9-0) owns a .676 saves percentage and a 2.84 goals-against average. He has posted 71 saves and conceded 34 goals in 1076:58. He also has one shutout this year.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is located in Hays, Kansas, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Tigers are ranked No. 24 in the nation and are rolling to the tune of an eight-match win streak. They are 10-3-1 this season and are 7-2 in the MIAA. During their recent win streak, they have outscored opponents 36-5 and have registered six clean sheets. FHSU has six double-digit scorers this year and is led by Tanner Brock (6g-6a=18p). Diego Cabral (4g-8a=16p) leads the side in assists and is second in points. Kent Freund (9-2-1) owns a .780 saves percentage and a 0.94 goals-against average. He also has six shutouts and has only conceded 11 goals in 1049:49.
 
RANKED NO. 15 AGAIN
Northeastern State remained No. 15 in the nation for the fourth-straight week, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday afternoon. NSU is the only team from the Central Region to earn a national rank in all seven 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 this week, and the Tigers checked in at No. 24. 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 seventh week in a row.
 
IN THE NCAA STATS
Northeastern State is ranked in the top 25 nationally in seven statistical categories. The RiverHawks rank eighth in both total assists (33) and assists per game (2.36), 10th in total points (99), 14th in points per game (7.07), 16th in total goals (33), 23rd in scoring offense (2.36), and 25th in win percentage (.786). Individually, Jordan Schmoker is tied for first in the nation with 10 assists, and his 0.71 assists per game rank fourth in the NCAA. He is also 26th in the country in total points (22). Goalkeeper Jackson Biles is 25th in the nation in saves percentage (.815) and 29th in goals-against average (0.83).
 
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 Oct. 14. 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 on Oct. 11. 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. He holds the NSU and MIAA records for career assists (33), and he also leads the league in assists and points (22) 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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