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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 15-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team is set to open MIAA competition against rival and No. 23-ranked Fort Hays State at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at DeLoache Field. NSU will then travel to Fayette, Iowa, for a noon tilt Sept. 20 against Upper Iowa.

The RiverHawks (2-2) are coming off back-to-back one-goal losses to No. 8 Regis and (RV) Colorado Mines. NSU was blanked against the Orediggers and found the back of the net once against the Rangers. Tonight's match marks the end of a five-match homestand to begin the 2014 campaign for Northeastern State. Jordan Schmoker (3g-2a=8p) leads NSU in scoring. The RiverHawks are 2-3-3 all-time against FHSU, but they own a 2-0-2 mark at home in the series. Fort Hays State won the three-match series last year 1-0-2. The two teams tied both regular season matches, and the Tigers beat NSU 3-2 in the semifinals of the MIAA Championship. The RiverHawks are 2-0 over the past two seasons against Upper Iowa.
 
WHO ARE 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. 23 in the nation and they own a 2-1-1 record this year. Austin Clifton (2g-0a) leads the team in scoring with four points. Michael Cole (1g-1a) is right behind with three. Diego Cabral and Damion Cooper have FHSU's other two goals this season. Kent Freund (2-0-1) and Jason Babyak (0-1-0) have split time in goal. Freund owns a 0.77 goals-against average and a .905 saves percentage, while Babyak carries a 1.22 GAA and a .778 S%.

WHO ARE THE PEACOCKS?
Upper Iowa is located in Fayette, Iowa, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Peacocks own victories over Waldorf (1-0) and South Dakota School of Mines (1-0) this season. They drew 2-2 with Montana State-Billings and lost to Simpson 2-1. UIU is led in scoring by Greg Marshall (1g-2a) with four points. Four other members of the team have one goal, while Aaron Calkins (1g-1a) has the only other assist on the team. Connor Rortvedt has played all four matches in goal for UIU. He owns a 2-1-1 record with a 0.92 goals-against average and an .818 saves percentage.
 
NSU RANKED NO. 15 NATIONALLY
Northeastern State checked in at No. 15 in the nation this week, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday. The RiverHawks, who were ranked No. 7 in the country a week ago, remained in the top 15 despite a pair of one-goal losses this past week. Those losses came at the hands of Regis, who is now No. 8 in the country, and Colorado Mines, who is receiving votes in the national polls. NSU is the highest-ranked team from both the Central Region and the MIAA.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE BEGINS 2014 IN STYLE
NSU kicked off the 2014 campaign with a 1-0 upset victory over No. 4 Rockhurst Sept. 5 at DeLoache Field. The triumph marked the second-straight year the RiverHawks defeated the powerful Hawks (0-1). The lone goal of the match came from Jordan Schmoker in the 26th minute. Jackson Biles (1-0) finished the night with a career-high six saves, while earning his third-career clean sheet. The RiverHawks also posted a 5-0 victory over William Jewell on Sept. 7. Schmoker had two goals in the match and also assisted on brother Adam's goal 48 seconds into the contest.
 
SCHOOL RECORD FALLS, SCHMOKER BROTHER HONORED
Jordan Schmoker was honored as the MIAA Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announcing this past Tuesday. The senior from Catoosa, Oklahoma, tallied seven points (3g-1a) in the first two matches of the season for the RiverHawks. He scored the lone goal in NSU's 1-0 upset victory over No. 4 Rockhurst, and he registered two goals and assisted on the game-winning goal in NSU's 5-0 win over William Jewell. The helper was the 24th of his career, which gave him the all-time NSU record for career assists. The award was the first issued by the league office this season, and it is also the first-career accolade for Schmoker.
 
RIVERHAWKS PICKED 2ND IN MIAA PRESEASON POLL
NSU was picked to finish second in the 2014 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll. This marked the third straight year the RiverHawks were projected to finish runners-up. They recorded a 10-3-4 record last season and tied for second in the MIAA with a 6-1-2 league mark. The team advanced to the MIAA Championship semifinals. The RiverHawks collected 29 points and one first place vote in the poll. They were selected to finish behind Lindenwood, which earned 35 total points and five first-place votes. NSU was tied with Fort Hays State who also received one first-place vote. Upper Iowa (20), Harding (16), Southern Nazarene (12), and Southwest Baptist (6) rounded out the remainder of the preseason projections.