HAYS, Kan. — 5th-year forward Davis Weir scored late in the first half, but conference leader Fort Hays State capitalized on a pair of early strikes and added a second-half goal to defeat the Harding men's soccer team 3-1 on Saturday morning at FHSU Soccer Stadium.
12th-ranked Fort Hays State (12-2-3, 10-0-1 GAC) seized momentum right out of the gate, jumping ahead in the fourth minute (3:37) when Juan Linares finished at the back post off passes from Len Valkema and JJ Espinosa. Five minutes later (8:23), the Tigers doubled their lead after a cross from Kyle Clayton was knocked into the net by a Harding defender for an own goal.
Harding (0-16-0, 0-10-0 GAC) pulled a goal back in the 42nd minute (41:56). 1st-year midfielder Roy Santibanez slipped a through pass behind the Tiger backline to Weir, who beat FHSU goalkeeper Payton Roehrich in a 1-on-1 situation for his first goal of the season and second of his career to cut the deficit to 2-1 entering halftime.
The Tigers preserved the margin throughout the second half before Linares struck again in the 81st minute (80:09), netting an unassisted goal to push the final score to 3-1.
Match Notes
-
In Net: 2nd-year goalkeeper Dillon Hart played all 90 minutes for Harding, making seven saves. The Bisons also added a team defensive save in the first half to finish with eight stops on the morning. Roehrich stopped one shot to earn the victory for Fort Hays State.
-
Shot Totals: Fort Hays State held a 23-6 advantage in total shots and a 10-2 edge in shots on frame. The Tigers earned six corner kicks to Harding's four.
-
Attack Leaders: 4th-year forward Reik Barrack led Harding with two shot attempts off the bench, while Weir, 2nd-year forward Maverick McCaig, 4th-year midfielder Hayden Teixeira, and 3rd-year defender Dylan Chambers each registered one shot.
-
Discipline: A physical match featured 29 total fouls (17 on FHSU, 12 on Harding) along with six yellow cards and one red card.
Up Next
Harding returns to Searcy for its home finale on Thursday, Oct. 29, hosting Rogers State at Stevens Soccer Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
