Men's Soccer | 11/17/2019 6:38:00 PM
HAYS, Kan. - The first-ever MIAA-GAC men’s soccer championship was a memorable one as Rogers State defeated Fort Hays State 2-2. The Hillcats won the match in a shootout with a 4-3 advantage in penalty kicks.
The Tigers wasted little time getting on the board as Moritz Walther connected on a penalty kick in the game’s ninth minute. However, the Hillcats returned the favor in the 18th minute with Chris Sowder’s goal on an assist from Jaxon Pitt and Callum Hubble.
RSU would then take the lead when Noah Robson netted a goal from Jordan Watson in the 55th minute for a 2-1 lead. The equalizer from FHSU would come just five minutes later as Mauricio Etcheverry scored on an unassisted goal.
After two scoreless overtime periods, Roger State took the first frame of the shootout when Robson scored following a Fort Hays State miss. In the next three frames, the teams traded scores back and forth before the Hillcats got a key save from Austin Wormell. Wormell’s save on the fifth shooter clinched the match and secured the title, the first championship for RSU as an Associate Member of the MIAA.
The selection show for the NCAA Division II men’s soccer tournament will be on Monday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m. CST. The show will air live on the NCAA.com