FHSU Athletics
LEBANON, Ill. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 win over Davenport University on Friday (Nov. 22). The No. 10 seeded Tigers moved to 13-3-4 overall on the season, while the No. 7 seeded Panthers ended their season at 9-8-4 overall.
The Tigers dominated possession throughout the match, outshooting the Panthers 29-7. The Tigers had plenty of good chances in the first half, but Davenport keeper Beau Hudd turned away all four shots on goal to leave the match scoreless at halftime. However, less than two minutes into the second half, the Tigers finally broke through with their constant pressure. A ball chipped into the box was mishandled by Hudd and went right to Elias Ovelar Semeniuk, who headed the ball into a wide-open net for the lone Tiger goal.
Bryce Dickerson led FHSU in shot attempts with seven, while Marcos German took six. The pair, along with Semeniuk, all had two shots on goal. FHSU generated 13 corner kicks in the match compared to just two for Davenport.
Ben Dixon posted his first individual clean sheet of the year, making two huge saves in the second half to keep the Tigers on top. One of those quality shots from the Panthers was inside the final five minutes, which Dixon elevated to punch up over the crossbar.
The win leveled FHSU's all-time record in the NCAA Tournament at 7-7-3. The Tigers are 3-2 in the 10-team Super Regional format that started in 2019.
Next up for the Tigers is weekend site host McKendree University, the No. 2 seed in the Super Regional bracket. The Bearcats have not taken a loss yet this season, entering the match at 12-0-7 overall. The Bearcats are ranked No. 12 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, while the Tigers are ranked No. 16. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Lebanon, Ill. Live streaming and stats will be available.