TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State men's soccer team is set for its final two home matches of the season. The RiverHawks will first host Southern Nazarene at 5 p.m. Oct. 29. The contest will be Senior Night for NSU's eight seniors and will also be the final non-conference tilt of the season. Northeastern State will then play host to No. 20 Fort Hays State in a key MIAA matchup at 1 p.m. Nov. 1. Both matches will be held at DeLoache Field.

ABOUT NSU
The RiverHawks (9-6, 3-3 MIAA) are coming off back-to-back losses on the road last weekend. The team was defeated 3-1 by Upper Iowa and 2-1 by Lindenwood. NSU was ranked No. 15 in the nation last week and is now receiving votes in the national polls. Freshman midfielder Joseph Garcia leads Northeastern State in scoring with 17 points (6g-5a). Senior forward Crosby Lee is right behind Garcia with 13 points (6g-1a). Senior goalkeeper Eric Shephard (9-6) has a 1.16 goals-against average, a .788 saves percentage and four shutouts this season.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON STORM
Name: Southern Nazarene University
Location: Bethany, Oklahoma
Conference: Great American
Record: 3-12
Series History: NSU leads 9-0, including a 7-0 victory in Bethany on Oct. 10
Top scorer: Tommy Fiszel (7g-4a=18p)
Assist leader: Tommy Fiszel (7g-4a=18p)
Top goalkeeper: Jeff Ray (1-7) / 3.27 GAA / .681 saves percentage
Fun fact: Ray was named GAC Men's Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week this week

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Name: Fort Hays State University
Location: Hays, Kansas
Conference: MIAA
Record: 10-3-1, 2-1-1 MIAA
Series History: NSU leads 4-3-5 and is 2-0-2 over the past two seasons
Top scorer: Mauricio Castorino (9g-7a=25p)
Assist leader: Mauricio Castorino (9g-7a=25p)
Top goalkeeper: Michael Yantz (10-3-1) / 1.22 GAA / .727 save percentage.
Fun fact: Fort Hays State is currently the No. 20-ranked team in the country

RIVERHAWKS EXIT NATIONAL POLLS, STILL RECEIVE VOTES
Northeastern State received votes in the most-recent national rankings, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Oct. 27. The RiverHawks were coming off a week where they were ranked a season-best No. 15 in the nation, and they exited the top-25 poll for the first time in three weeks. Fort Hays State checked in at No. 20, and Upper Iowa re-entered the polls at No. 25. NSU initially earned a preseason ranking of No. 21 and was issued a rank of No. 24 in the first regular-season polls. The RiverHawks dropped out for three weeks before returning to No. 24 three weeks ago.

NSU DIPS TO 4TH IN SECOND NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS
NSU fell to No. 4 in the second release of NCAA Central Region rankings, the National Collegiate Athletics Association announced Oct. 28. The top two programs from the Central Region at seasons' end will qualify for the 2015 NCAA Championship. They will meet in the NCAA Round of 16 at the home of the top team from the Midwest Region, which is currently Rockhurst. The next set of regional rankings will be released Nov. 4, and the NCAA Championship participants will be announced Nov. 9. Fort Hays State bumped up to No. 1 following two NSU losses this past week. Those losses were to Lindenwood, who is now No. 2, and Upper Iowa, who moved up to No. 3.

MIAA LEADERBOARD
Trevor Reed: 1st in shots (44), T-2 in game winning goals (2)
Joseph Garcia: 2nd in points (17), T-3 in assists (5), T-4 in goals (6)
Crosby Lee: T-4 in goals (6), T-5 in points (13), 10th in shots (24)
James Olmos: 9th in shots (25)
Justin Todd: T-2 in game-winning goals (2)
Eric Shephard: 2nd in saves (63), 2nd in saves percentage (.788), T-2 in shutouts (4), 3rd in goals-against average (1.156)

TEAM HIGHS IN THE NCAA STATS (top 25)
10th in shots per game (18.20)
15th in shots on goal per game (8.33)
T-22 in goals per game (2.47)
T-23 in total goals (37)

LEE WINS SECOND-STRAIGHT LEAGUE LAUREL
Crosby Lee was honored for the second-straight week as the MIAA Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced Oct. 21. The senior forward from Golden, Colorado, scored twice, including his first-career game winner, as Northeastern State was the only team in the league to earn a conference victory this past week. Coming off his first-career hat trick, Lee scored just 4:12 into NSU's 5-0 victory over Southwest Baptist. He also scored in the 89th minute and now has five goals in his last two matches. Lee was an All-American defender last season, but he was moved up top three matches ago after returning from injury and is already leading the RiverHawks in scoring with six goals. Of the seven MIAA athlete of the week honors handed out this season, the RiverHawks have collected four of them. NSU has also won the last three in a row. Senior midfielder Brenden Bombardier was awarded the accolade Oct. 6. Sophomore midfielder Trevor Reed also won the award once this year (Sept. 8).