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HAYS, Kan. – The No. 15-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team clinched the 2014 MIAA Regular-Season Championship with a 1-1 draw against No. 24 Fort Hays State Sunday afternoon at FHSU Soccer Stadium.
The RiverHawks (12-3-1, 10-0-1 MIAA) remained unbeaten in conference play and improved their road unbeaten streak to 18-straight matches. They also locked up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MIAA Championship tournament, which will be contested Nov. 6-8 in Olathe, Kansas.
NSU has 31 points in league play, which is six clear of FHSU. The Tigers (11-3-2, 8-2-1 MIAA) saw their nine-match win streak snapped, and they will be the No. 2 seed in the league tourney. With one week remaining in the regular season, Lindenwood (16 points) and Upper Iowa (15 points) are currently slotted to be the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. Harding is fifth in the league table with 13 points. All three sides have two league matches remaining, while NSU and FHSU both have just one.
In Sunday's draw, Drew Wilson put the home side ahead in the 34th minute. He received the ball at the top of the box, and he took a shot that caromed off the crossbar and over the line.
The Tigers were looking to secure a victory over NSU and maintain a shot at earning a share of the regular-season championship, but senior midfielder
Jordan Schmoker converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute that brought the RiverHawks level. The PK was awarded after sophomore midfielder
Jonathan Guzman was brought down inside the 18-yard penalty box.
The two sides would play out the remainder of the match without a game winner.
Schmoker's goal gives him eight on the season, which ties him for the MIAA lead. He also leads the league in assists (12) and points (28), and he now has 61 career points.
NSU outshot Fort Hays State 19-14 and led in corner kicks 3-2. The two teams combined for 30 fouls and six cautions.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Jackson Biles (11-3-1) finished with four saves, while FHSU keeper Kent Freund (10-2-2) made eight.
This marked the third-straight match that NSU and FHSU went into overtime in Hays. Fort Hays State won the first OT session 3-2 in 2012, and the two teams played to a 0-0 draw last season. The RiverHawks and Tigers remained level at 3-3-4 in the all-time series.
Northeastern State steps out of conference one final time at 3 p.m. Oct. 29 in a return match against Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Ark. OBU handed the RiverHawks their last loss, which came on Oct. 8 in Tahlequah.
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH ROB CZLONKAStatement…"Getting a point on the road is always important, especially against a really good side like Fort Hays State. This is a tough environment to play in, and we haven't had a ton of success here over the years. I'm happy with how we were able to battle back to earn the draw after going down early. We had a few opportunities to take the win, but we just weren't able to finish our chances."
On winning the league title outright…"It's a fantastic feeling. The guys are pumped to get through all their conference matches so far without a loss. They were a little frustrated they weren't able to get the win today, but this is a great team we played and they are extremely tough at home. We're excited to win our first title outright. We're ready to get home and get to work on preparing for another road match against Ouachita Baptist on Wednesday."
On Chance Miller returning from injury…"Julius (James) has done a great job filling in. He's athletic and made a bunch of great plays, but it's great getting Chance back. He brings a lot of composure and experience at right back. He's not quite game fit yet, but just having him back there is great for the team with the leadership he provides."
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-
