Harding Men's Soccer

Harding (0-0-0) at Dallas Baptist (0-0)

Location: Dallas, Texas (Patriot Soccer Field)

Time: 7 p.m.

Series:  Tied 2-2

Coaches: Harding – Odie Guzman (10-19-5, 3rd Season); Dallas Baptist – Chris Crawford (10-22-2, 3rd Season)

Live Video/Stats: Available through a link on HardingSports.com

Harding

·         Harding starts its 15th season of NCAA Division II men's soccer action Thursday as the Bisons travel to Dallas, Texas, to meet Dallas Baptist.

·         Harding has won its season opener three times in program history. The Bisons defeated Williams Baptist 5-2 in 2000, in the program's first official game. Harding won back-to-back openers in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, Harding recorded perhaps its best victory ever with a 1-0 season-opening win over Lynn, the NCAA Division II runners-up that season. The Bisons won 2-1 at Williams Baptist to open 2012.

·         Harding will open the season with Dallas Baptist for the second straight year. The Bisons fell 3-2 last season in Searcy.

·         Harding concluded the 2013 season with a 6-8-2 overall record and a 3-6-0 mark in the MIAA. The Bisons finished fifth in the MIAA, one spot away from the last conference tournament berth.

·         Harding is picked to finish fifth again this season in the MIAA, the Bisons' last in the conference before the Great American Conference adds men's soccer for the 2015 season.

·         Harding returns nine starters off last season's team, including senior forward Ian Park, Harding's leading goal scorer with six.

·         Park is also Harding's active leader with 11 career goals and 26 points. Christopher Walker has five career assists to lead Harding in that category.

·         Harding does not have a goalkeeper on its roster that has played in a collegiate game.

·         Last season, Harding ranked 42nd of 188 NCAA II teams in scoring offense (2.00 goals per game). The Bisons were 138th in team goals-against average (1.88 goals allowed per game).

Dallas Baptist

·         Dallas Baptist is a member of the Heartland Conference and was picked to finish fifth of eight teams in the conference's preseason poll.

·         Dallas Baptist finished 6-9-1 overall last season and 4-4-1 in the Heartland.

·         Junior forward Brian Robertson, a native of Midlothian, Texas, led Dallas Baptist last season with seven goals, 10 assists, and 24 points.

·         Senior midfielder David Balyeat returns after being named 1st Team All-Heartland Conference and NSCAA 2nd Team All-Region last season.

·         Junior goalkeeper Chuck Schober, who started 10 games last season for Dallas Baptist, returns in net. Schober had a 2.26 goals-against average and a 66.2 save percentage.

·         Dallas Baptist also ranked 42nd in scoring in the NCAA II with 2.00 goals per game. The Patriots were 154th defensively, allowing 2.08 goals per game.

 The Series              

·         The series between Harding and Dallas Baptist is tied 2-2. The Bisons have outscored the Patriots 13-10 in the four meetings.

·         The series began in 2001 with Harding winning 6-2 in Searcy. The following season, the Bisons downed the Patriots 3-2 in overtime in Dallas. In 2004, Dallas Baptist picked up its first win with a 3-2 victory in Dallas. The teams did not meet again until last season when Dallas Baptist won 3-2.

·         In last season's game, Harding opened the scoring in the 8th minute on a Ryan Wilhelm penalty kick. Dallas Baptist answered twice before halftime with goals from Riley Alvey in the 17th minute and a penalty kick goal from David Balyeat in the 37th minute. Harding tied the game in the 78th minute on Jackson Buchanan's goal, but Dallas Baptist's Rodrigo Barrientos scored the game-winner in the 84th minute. Dallas Baptist outshot Harding 17-8 overall and 6-3 on-goal.