TAHLEQUAH -- The RiverHawks Men's Soccer team will be back at DeLoache Field this weekend for a pair of GAC matchups. They will open the weekend Thursday evening against Newman and conclude play on Saturday afternoon when they host rival Fort Hays State.

First Touches
1. The RiverHawks are 6-5 on the season, with a 4-3 conference record. They are coming off a 3-0 loss to Harding on Saturday that followed a 2-0 win over Ouachita Baptist that saw Flynn Semmerling score both NSU goals. The RiverHawks are fourth in the GAC standings, tied with Rogers State. 

2. Semmerling leads the team with five goals and 14 shots on goal this season. Ben Watson is right behind him with four goals, while Aaron Ugbah has scored three this season and has three assists. Justin Hinman has been in net for 11 matches, making 35 saves, including a season-high six saves against Midwestern State.

3. The RiverHawks are 5-1-1 all-time against Newman and have won the last five matchups. Their most recent meeting came on Sept. 21 and resulted in a narrow 1-0 win for NSU thanks to a first-half goal from Semmerling. NSU is trailing the all-time series against Fort Hays 7-9-5, including a 2-1 loss on Sept. 19. 

4. The RiverHawks are led by head coach Rob Czlonka, who is in his ninth season as head coach. Czlonka picked up his 100th career win on Sept. 26 against Southern Nazarene. NSU has known a lot of success under Czlonka, having qualified four times for the NCAA Tournament, including two trips to the NCAA Elite 8 (2015, 2017) and two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2014, 2018). Czlonka entered the season with the fourth-best winning percentage among active NCAA Division II head coaches.

5. The Jets are 4-4-1 this season, with a 3-3-1 conference record. They are coming off a 3-3 tie against Okla. Baptist and a 2-0 win over Southern Nazarene. Ed Jabarri leads the Jets with four goals off nine shots on goal. Ignacio Lerech also has nine shots on goal, while Victor Rubio Lopez and Carlos Manchon Bellosta both have two goals this season. Jean Claude Consol has played eight matches in net, making 29 saves on the season.

6. Fort Hays State enters the weekend with a 7-3-1 record, with a conference record of 6-0-1. The Tigers have won six of their last seven matches, with the lone exception being a 2-2 tie on Sept. 26 against Ouachita Baptist. Santiago Agudelo has nine goals this season for the Tigers along with 26 shots on goal and three match-winning goals. Cullen Fisch and Kieran Brown have split time in net, with Fisch making 26 saves and Brown contributing 11. 

Looking Ahead: The RiverHawks will be on the road next weekend to face Okla. Baptist and Southern Nazarene.