SNU Live Stats  I  Harding Live Stats

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 16-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team looks to remain perfect in MIAA play with two matches this week. The RiverHawks will first travel to Southern Nazarene (2-5, 1-1 MIAA) for a 7 p.m. match Sept. 25 at Wes Harmon Field before playing host to Harding (1-2-1, 1-0 MIAA) at 1 p.m. Sept. 27 at DeLoache Field.

NSU (4-2, 2-0 MIAA) opened the MIAA portion of its schedule with a pair of one-goal victories this past week. The RiverHawks recorded a 2-1 victory over No. 23 Fort Hays State before earning a 3-2 overtime road triumph at Upper Iowa. Senior midfielder Jordan Schmoker (4g-3a=11p) leads Northeastern State in scoring, and sophomore midfielder Chris Mendez (2g-1a=5p) is second. Sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Biles (4-2) is the top netminder. He currently owns a 1.08 goals-against average and a .778 saves percentage to go along with a pair of shutouts. NSU is 6-0 all-time against the Crimson Storm and 13-0 against the Bisons.
 
WHO IS THE CRIMSON STORM?
Southern Nazarene University is located in Bethany, Oklahoma, and the men's soccer team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Crimson Storm is 2-5 overall this year and 1-1 in the MIAA. SNU posted a 2-0 upset victory over then-No. 23 Fort Hays State in its last outing. Edgar Pineda (4g-1a=9p) is the team's leader in the goals and points, and Blake Rodgers (3g-1a=7p) is right behind in both categories. Ishmael Fernandez (0g-3a=3p) is the leader in assists. Jeff Ray man's the six-yard goalkeeper box for the Crimson Storm. He is 2-4 this season with a 2.18 goals-against average, a .717 saves percentage and one shutout.

WHO ARE THE BISONS?
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and the men's soccer program competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bisons are 1-2-1 overall this season with a 1-0 mark in the league. They lost their first two matches this season but have since defeated Southern Nazarene 2-1 and earned a 1-1 draw with Oklahoma Christian. Jacob Stevens leads the side with five points (2g-1a), and Dylan Sherrill (2g-0a) is the only other member of the team with more than one goal. Thomas Shults (1-2-0) owns a 2.29 GAA and a .636 S%.
 
NSU RANKED NO. 16 NATIONALLY
Northeastern State was slotted at No. 16 in the nation this week, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday. The RiverHawks were ranked No. 7 in the country two weeks ago and checked in at No. 15 last week. They earned a pair of one-goal triumphs this past week, including a 2-1 win over then-No. 23 Fort Hays State. NSU went on the road and defeated an unranked Upper Iowa squad 3-2 in overtime. The Peacocks moved into the national rankings at No. 25. The RiverHawks are the highest-ranked team from both the Central Region and the MIAA.
 
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 announced Sept. 9. 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. He now has 26 assists in his career. 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.