Harding Men's Soccer
Harding (6-6-3, 3-5-0) at #23 Northeastern State (9-2-4, 5-1-2)
Location: Tahlequah, Okla., DeLoache Field
Time: 5 p.m.
Series: Northeastern State leads 12-0-0
Coaches: Harding – Odie Guzman (10-17-6, 2nd Season); Northeastern State – Rob Czlonka (32-13-8, 3rd Season)
Live Stats: Available through a link on HardingSports.com
Harding
· Harding plays its final game of the 2013 season Friday against 23rd-ranked Northeastern State. The Bisons will miss out on the four-team MIAA Tournament but have plenty to play for in their final game.
· Harding enters the game 6-6-3 overall and 3-5-0 in MIAA play. A victory would give Harding a winning season for the first time in the 15-year history of the program. It would also give the Bisons four conference victories for the first time ever.
· This will be Harding's fifth game this season against a nationally-ranked team. The Bisons are looking for their first victory this season and their first victory as a program. This will be Harding's 22nd all-time game against a nationally-ranked team.
· Harding is coming off a 7-1 road victory over Central Baptist on Tuesday. The Bisons scored five goals in the first half, the most ever by Harding in one half in a road game. The seven goals also tied a team road-game record. Sophomore Adam Borsheim notched Harding's first hat-trick since Carter Truax and Philip McCormick both scored three goals against Rust in 2008. Ian Park had two goals in the game, and Jacob Stevens and Gehrig Haberstock had a goal and an assist each.
· Harding has outscored its opponents 31-26 this season this season and has outscored its opponents 17-7 in the first half.
· Harding has 12 different players who have at least one goal or one assist. Ian Park leads the team with six goals and 14 points, and Christopher Walker has a team-high five assists. Jacob Stevens (5 goals, 1 assist) leads the team with 34 shots and 16 shots on goal.
· Harding has used two starting goalkeepers this season. Senior Will Lynn has started eight games, has a 1.36 goals against average and a 77.8 saves percentage. Lynn has won five games in goal this season. Freshman Seth Peterson has made seven starts and has a 1.93 goals against average and a 70.8 saves percentage.
· Freshman Philip White leads Harding with 1,340 minutes played, followed by junior Gehrig Haberstock with 1,337 minutes.
Northeastern State
· Northeastern State is an NCAA Division II school located in Tahlequah, Okla. The RiverHawks compete in the MIAA in all sports.
· Northeastern State enters the game 9-2-4 overall and 5-1-2 in the MIAA. The RiverHawks are in second place in the conference standings and have qualified for the MIAA Tournament. Northeastern State is 3-2-2 in its seven home games.
· The RiverHawks have outscored their opponents 45-14. Northeastern State has outscored its opponents 17-4 in the first half and 27-9 in the second half.
· The RiverHawks are led by Joel Mendoza, a sophomore forward from Dallas, Texas, who has 17 points with seven goals and three assists, and Paul Samia, a sophomore forward from Colorado Springs, Colo., who also has 17 points with six goals and five assists. Jordan Schmoker, a junior defender from Catoosa, Okla., leads the team with 11 assists.
· Northeastern State has used two goalkeepers throughout the season. Eric Shephard, a sophomore from Allen, Texas, has started eight games and has a 0.78 goals against average and an 82.9 saves percentage. Jackson Biles, a redshirt freshman from Norman, Okla., has started seven games and has a 0.98 goals against average and a 65.0 saves percentage.
The Series
· Northeastern State leads the all-time series 12-0-0 overall and 6-0-0 in Tahlequah, Okla. The RiverHawks won the first game this season between the teams 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 1. Jacob Stevens scored the game-tying goal in the 85th minute, but Northeastern State's Joel Mendoza scored the game-winning in the 107th minute.
