TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State men's soccer team is set for a pair of matches this week against familiar foes. First up for NSU will be a home match against Harding which will be contested at 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at DeLoache Field. The RiverHawks will then hit the road for an MIAA battle with No. 22 Fort Hays State at 1 p.m. Oct. 4 in Hays, Kansas.

ABOUT NSU
The RiverHawks (4-4, 1-1 MIAA) are coming off a week that saw them beat then-No. 20 Lindenwood 3-2 prior to falling 1-0 to Upper Iowa. The Peacocks have now ascended to No. 12 in the country after receiving votes last week. Redshirt freshman midfielder Joseph Garcia scored twice in the victory over the Lions, which included the game-winning goal. He and sophomore midfielder Trevor Reed are tied for the team lead in points with nine as they've both put up four goals and one assist. Garcia has scored the four goals while only attempting six shots on frame. Sophomore midfielder Justin Todd is third on the team in goals scored with two (2g-0a=4p). Senior goalkeeper Eric Shephard (4-4) has played every minute in goal so far this season. He holds a 1.25 goals-against average and a .787 saves percentage to go along with one shutout this year. He is also second in the MIAA in both GAA and S%.

SCOUTING THE BISONS
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and the team competes in the Great American Conference. The Bisons are 2-6-1 overall and are coming off losses to both Delta State and Southern Nazarene. They own victories over Oklahoma Baptist (4-0) and Southwest Baptist (3-2 2OT). The team's most dangerous player has far and away been Barry Foster. He has scored five goals and tallied one assist for 11 points. Curtis Hunt is second on the team in goals scored with two (2g-0a=4p) and Josiah Ireland is the team's assist leader (1g-3a=5p). Tyler Melson (1-2-1) has spent the most time in goal at 437 minutes. He owns a 2.06 goals-against average and a .600 saves percentage. Thomas Shults (1-3-0) has been in net for 315 minutes and carries a 2.00 GAA and a .750 S%. Northeastern State is 15-0 all-time against Harding, which includes a pair of home-and-home victories last season.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is located in Hays, Kansas, and the team competes in the MIAA. The Tigers are currently ranked No. 22 in the country with an overall record 6-2-0. They ascended to as high as No. 11 in the nation before falling 3-0 at home to Texas A&M-International in their last match. Prior to the loss, FHSU earned double overtime victories over Newman (2-1) and West Texas A&M (3-2). Fort Hays State has a trio of dangerous goal scorers in Mauricio Castorino, Maurizio Costa and Anthony Hernandez. The three have combined to score 15 goals. Castorino (6g-4a=16p) leads the team in goals, assists and points. Goalkeeper Michael Yantz (6-2-0) owns a 1.56 goals-against average and a .711 saves percentage. He also has a pair of shutouts. The all-time series between the two rivals stands at an even 3-3-5. The RiverHawks got the better of the Tigers last year after finishing 1-0-2 against their rivals.

BACK RECEIVING VOTES
Northeastern State is receiving one vote in the latest installment of the NSCAA national rankings, which were released Sept. 29. The RiverHawks began the season ranked No. 21 in the nation and landed at No. 24 in the second week of rankings. NSU received votes in the third poll and dropped out last week. The team received a vote this week after earning a 3-2 upset win over then-No. 20 Lindenwood last week.