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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The No. 14-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team earned a 3-1 victory over Ouachita Baptist Wednesday evening at Kluck Field.
 
The RiverHawks (13-3-1) got revenge from a loss earlier this season when the Tigers (7-7-2) defeated NSU 3-2 in Tahlequah.
 
Northeastern State, the No. 1 team in the Central Region, started early with a goal by freshman forward Ricardo Palomino just 1:33 into the contest. Junior midfielder Frank Garay headed a pass to Palomino who was streaking up the middle. Palomino then flicked a volley right past the OBU keeper.
 
Senior forward Juan Peralta finished a ball inside the six-yard goalkeeper area in the 14th minute with a goal that would become the game winner. He was assisted by both Garay and junior midfielder Brenden Bombardier.
 
After the Tigers got on the board in the 50th minute, freshman forward Justin Todd blasted home an insurance marker in the 75th minute that sealed the match. He was assisted by Peralta.
 
The RiverHawks outshot OBU 14-11 and led in corner kicks 5-2.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Biles (12-3-1) made three saves in the winning effort. David Henley (7-7-2) finished with five saves and three goals allowed in the loss.
 
Northeastern State returns to Tahlequah for the final time in the regular season. NSU's Senior Day match will begin at 1 p.m. Nov. 1 against Southwest Baptist.

NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH ROB CZLONKA
Opening statement…
"We're real happy with the result. We were frustrated that we gave up another set-piece goal, though. (Ouachita Baptist was) living off the long throws and free kicks deep. They're a good team in the box. Once we got it figured out, we were OK. As a result, this is really good for us. It definitely is something we were working for, not just because of regional rankings, but because they caught us on an off day a few weeks back. We wanted to come back and repay the favor."
 
On the Tigers being regionally ranked last week…
"They're in the hunt, for certain. They're a quality side. They're young, and they're going to get better. Coach (Kevin) Wright is doing a good job. Him and his staff are very organized. They're doing a good job recruiting and finding players that fit they're system. They'll be competitive in the future. I thought they deserved that ranking last week. They're right up there with schools like Lindenwood and Upper Iowa."
 
On the team's preparation between now and the conference tournament…
"We're just thinking about Southwest Baptist right now. It's going to be our Senior Day, and we want to make sure we put our guys out on a high note. SBU got a goal on us last time and it was a close 3-1 game. We're not going to overlook them as we go forward. We want to finish the conference regular season undefeated."
 
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