TAHLEQUAH – The Northeastern State Men's Soccer team will continue their four-match homestand on Friday when they host GAC opponent Rogers State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., following the conclusion of the Women's Soccer match.

First Touches
1. The RiverHawks are 5-3 this season after sweeping Southern Nazarene and Okla. Baptist over the weekend. Against the Crimson Storm, Flynn Semmerling led the team with two goals, while Ben Watson had two against the Bison. The RiverHawks improved their conference record to 2-1 with the wins.

2. Watson leads the RiverHawks with four goals this season, while Aaron Ugbah leads in shots on goal with 10, and assists with three. Justin Hinman has played every match in net for NSU, recording 26 saves and two shutouts, including his shutout against Okla. Baptist.

3. The RiverHawks enter the contest with a 2-0-1 all-time record against the Hillcats. The last matchup between the teams was Sept. 6, 2018 and resulted in a 2-1 NSU win. The only match that didn't result in a RiverHawks win was Oct. 9, 2013 when the match ended in a scoreless draw.

4. Watson and Hinman were named GAC players of the week on Tuesday thanks to their performances over the weekend. Watson had a goal Thursday against Southern Nazarene and two goals on Saturday against Okla. baptist, while Hinman made nine saves, five of which came on Saturday.

5. The RiverHawks are led by head coach Rob Czlonka, who is in his ninth season as head coach. He picked up his 100th career win against the Crimson Storm on Thursday.  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.

6. The Hillcats enter the match riding a 5-2-1 record and a two-match win streak. They started conference play slow, losing to Newman and Fort Hays State before picking up wins over Okla. Baptist and Southern Nazarene. Jake Simpson is the team leader with six goals, four assists and 15 shots on goal. He has also recorded one game-winning goal. Austin Wormell has played seven matches in net, making 29 saves.

Looking Ahead: The RiverHawks will have some time off, as they won't return to action until Oct. 10 when they host Ouachita Baptist at DeLoache Field. They will also travel to Searcy, Ark. to face the Harding Bison on Oct. 12.