FHSU Athletics
(1) #4 Fort Hays State (20-0-3) vs.
(4) Rollins (13-4-5)
Friday, December 12 • 4 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. MT
Colorado Springs, Colo. • Weidner Field
Video: NCAA: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
Fort Hays State Men's Soccer continues the quest toward its ultimate goal on Friday when it faces Rollins College (Fla.) in the NCAA national semifinal in Colorado Springs. Match time is set for 4 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. MT. The Tigers and Tars will be the first national semifinal of the day at Weidner Field, while the second semifinal features Southern New Hampshire and Midwestern State (Texas). A free live stream will be available of all matches in Colorado Springs at the link provided above.
Champions of the four super regions in the NCAA Tournament were reseeded to create the two national semifinal matches. FHSU was awarded the No. 1 seed, while Rollins was tabbed as the No. 4. Southern New Hampshire received the No. 2 seed and Midwestern State received the No. 3 seed.
The Tigers reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in program history with their 4-0 win over Rogers State in the Super Region 3 Championship (national quarterfinals) in Hays last week. It was their fourth win of the season over the Hillcats. The win advanced the Tigers into the national semifinals for the second time in program history, also accomplished by the 2018 team. The Tigers will be seeking their first-ever appearance in a national title game.
Rollins was the No. 5 seed in Super Region 2 and won matches over No. 4 seed West Florida, No. 8 seed Flagler, and No. 6 seed Mississippi College to reach the national semifinals. The Tars will also be making their second appearance in the national semifinals, also accomplished back in 2010. Rollins played in the national title game that year, but fell to Northern Kentucky 3-2 in the championship match. That was the year right before men's soccer started as a sport at Fort Hays State. Keith Buckley has been leading the Tars as head coach for 35 years and has 382 career victories. Justin Nelson leads the Tars offensively with 23 points (9 goals, 5 assists), while Finlay Prain has 20 (6 goals, 8 assists). In goal, Killian Vallant has 73 saves, a .676 save percentage, and four shutouts for the season.
Fort Hays State has outscored its opponents 9-0 so far in the NCAA Tournament, defeating No. 9 seed Indianapolis 3-0, No. 4 seed Rockhurst 2-0, and No. 2 seed Rogers State 4-0 in Super Region 3. Bastian Carlman has been the hottest scorer for the Tigers in the tournament with three goals, while Mario Leal Vales and Marcus Dalseide each have two. Jackson Elgas and Elias Ovelar Semeniuk each have one.
Both FHSU and Rollins have knocked off two nationally ranked teams in the NCAA Tournament. Unranked going into the NCAA Tournament, Rollins defeated No. 24 West Florida and No. 20 Mississippi College on its path to Colorado Springs. Fort Hays State entered the national tournament as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation and is the highest ranked team remaining. The Tigers knocked off No. 10 ranked Rockhurst and No. 13 ranked Rogers State in their path to Colorado Springs.
Teams advancing from Friday's semifinal matches will meet in the national title game on Sunday, set for 4 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. MT.
11TH NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
Fort Hays State is making its 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2025. The program is only in its 15th year of existence. FHSU narrowly missed making the national tournament its first year of 2011, but then went on a nine-year streak (2012-2021) of making the NCAA Tournament which was the nation's longest active streak in NCAA Division II until it was snapped in 2022. The Tigers are back in the tournament for a second year in a row after returning in 2024. Fort Hays State's 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament is the third-most by a D2 program in the last 15 years, only trailing Cal State L.A. - 13 and Charleston (W.Va.) - 12.
11 WINS IS THE STANDARD
Fort Hays State has produced at least 11 wins in a season 12 times in its 15 years of existence. In one of those years (2020-21 spring), 11 was unattainable due to a COVID shortened season when FHSU played only 7 matches. FHSU won 8 matches in both 2022 and 2023, which is the low for the program, and the Tigers have never had a losing season. FHSU has an all-time record of 181-71-38 (.690).
NEW PROGRAM RECORD FOR WINS
With 3 wins so far in the NCAA Tournament, Fort Hays State has reached a new program record for wins in a season with 20. The previous record was 17 set by the 2018 team, which also advanced to the national semifinals in the NCAA Tournament.
TIGERS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT SUPER REGIONAL FORMAT
In 2019, the NCAA changed the national tournament format to four balanced Super Regions with 10 teams each, making a total of 40 qualifiers for the tournament. Prior to that, eight regions had an unbalanced amount of bids allotted in the tournament and created an unbalanced bracket in the first two rounds. This is the fourth time FHSU is playing in the tournament under the current 10-team format in each Super Region. The Tigers were the No. 8 seed in Super Region 3 in 2019 and fell in the opening round to No. 9 seed Indianapolis 3-2. In 2021, the Tigers were the No. 6 seed and defeated No. 3 seed Wisconsin-Parkside 2-1 and then No. 2 seed Lake Erie 3-2 (2OT) to reach the national quarterfinals, where they fell to No. 1 seed Indianapolis 2-0. In 2024, the Tigers were the No. 10 seed and defeated No. 7 seed Davenport 1-0 before falling to No. 2 seed McKendree in the Round of 32 by a score of 3-2 (OT). This year the Tigers are the No. 1 seed and defeated No. 9 seed Indianapolis 3-0, No. 4 seed Rockhurst 2-0 so far, and No. 2 seed Rogers State 4-0 to reach this stage. FHSU is 6-3 in the current Super Regional format. In the old format, FHSU was 4-5-3.
ACCUSTOMED TO DEEP RUNS
Fort Hays State made its sixth appearance in the NCAA national quarterfinals within 11 tournament appearances overall last week. This is the second time in program history the Tigers have advanced to the national semifinals. The Tigers were national quarterfinalists three straight years from 2014-2016 before taking a bigger leap in 2018 to the national semifinals in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they fell on penalty kicks in a 0-0 tie with eventual national champion Barry University (Fla.). The Tigers returned to the national quarterfinals in 2021 and went past that this season, now in the national semifinals to match the 2018 team. The Tigers are seeking their first appearance in the national title game.
RECORD IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Fort Hays State owns a record of 10-8-3 in the NCAA Tournament, making its 11th appearance in program history this year. FHSU has posted a winning record in three of its previous NCAA Tournament appearances, going 1-0-1 in 2015, 2-0-1 in 2018, and 2-1 in 2021, and will finish with a winning record this season as well. The Tigers have won 1 of the 3 penalty kick shootouts they have played in during the national tournament. They advanced past Northeastern State in 2014 in the Round of 16, winning a 3-2 PK shootout, but then were on the short end of a 4-1 PK result the following year (2015) in the national quarterfinals against Rockhurst. The Tigers were also on the short end of a 5-4 PK decision in the national semifinals back in 2018 after playing to a scoreless draw with Barry University, the eventual national champion that season.
TIGERS UNDER ALEX NICHOLS
Alex Nichols is in his second year as head coach at Fort Hays State. He owns a record of 33-4-7 (.830) leading the Tigers. He guided FHSU to its first-ever undefeated regular season in 2025 as the Tigers went 15-0-3 through 18 matches. They are now 20-0-3 after winning the GAC/MIAA Tournament the their 3 matches of the NCAA Tournament so far. Nichols is the third head coach in the program's history. He is no stranger to success on a national level after winning two NAIA national titles (2018 and 2019) as head coach at Central Methodist University (Mo.), where he spent nine years. CMU won five-straight Heart of America Conference regular season titles from 2018 to 2022 and won four straight conference tournament titles from 2019 to 2022. His 2018, 2019, and 2020-21 squads lost only one regular season match, while his 2021 and 2022 squads both went undefeated in the regular season before taking their only loss in the NAIA national tournament. CMU had a 37-match unbeaten streak in regular season play that started during the 2020-21 campaign and lasted through the end of the 2022 regular season, going 32-0-5 in that stretch. The Eagles had no more than two losses overall in each of the final five seasons of Nichols' tenure (2018-2022), reaching the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Top 25 poll in each of those seasons. Nichols moved on to coach at Florida Memorial University for one season (2023), turning the program around immediately with a 9-8-2 winning season, before taking the head coaching job at Fort Hays State. Nichols owns a career record 195-42-22 (.795), now in his 12th year as a head coach overall.
FIRST MEETING WITH ROLLINS
This will be the first-ever meeting between Fort Hays State and Rollins. It is just the second time the Tigers will face an opponent from the state of Florida. The only other time was also in the national semifinals in 2018 when they tied Barry University 0-0 (2OT), but fell by a 5-4 decision in the PK shootout, making the Tigers 0-0-1 against teams from the state of Florida.
4TH IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
In the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 rankings going into the NCAA Tournament, Fort Hays State is ranked No. 4. The Tigers held the No. 4 ranking for the final three regular season polls, which has been their highest ranking this season. Rollins was unranked going into the national tournament, but has picked off No. 24 West Florida and No. 20 Mississippi College in its route to the national semifinals. The Tars also had big wins earlier in the year over Palm Beach Atlantic and Lynn, which are both in the top 10 of the most recent national rankings. Fort Hays State is the highest nationally ranked team remaining in the NCAA Tournament after No. 1, 2, and 3 have all lost.
REGULAR SEASON AND TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
For the first time in program history, Fort Hays State won both its conference regular season and conference tournament titles in a season. The Tigers have won four regular season titles in program history (2017 & 2018-MIAA, 2019 & 2025-GAC/MIAA). They have three conference tournament titles, all in the GAC/MIAA (2021, 2024, 2025).
HIGH-RANKING IN SEVERAL STAT CATEGORIES
Fort Hays State is the national leader in NCAA Division II for won-loss-tie percentage (.935), goal differential (+58), total goals (68), total points (200). The Tigers rank second in corner kicks per match (7.74), shots per match (17.96), goals against average (.435), and shutout percentage (.696). FHSU ranks third in assists (64) and assists per match (2.78).
D2CCA REGION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR FOR FHSU
Elias Ovelar Semeniuk became the 5th player in FHSU men's soccer history to earn D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year honors this year. He joined Mauricio Castorino (2015), Derick Gonzalez (2017), Santiago Agudelo (2018, 2019), and Taisei Arima (2021) as Tigers who have earned the honor. Ovelar Semeniuk ranks second nationally in goals scored (15), just two behind the national lead (17) held by Sverre Orten of Gannon. He has 35 points for the season.
THE THROW-IN WONDER
Senior transfer Joseph Street has played a huge factor in FHSU's success this year. With his amazing ability to perform throw-ins of a long distance compared to other players, he has collected the majority of his 13 assists this year on throw-ins that were either directly headed in or kicked in for goals. Street ranks 2nd nationally in assists. He is two shy of the FHSU single-season record of 15 set just last year by teammate Tadhg Walsh.
STEADY IN THE MIDDLE
Senior midfielder Tadhg Walsh has put together an impressive career at Fort Hays State over four years. He was named the GAC/MIAA Midfielder of the Year this season. Last year, Walsh set a school record for assists in a season with 15 as he led the nation in the category by the end of the regular season. Walsh is a 4-time All-GAC/MIAA selection overall, garnering First Team honors each of the last three seasons. He was a D2CCA All-America Second Team and CSC Academic All-America Second Team selection last year. He is a 3-time D2CCA All-Central Region selection. Walsh has 53 career points with 13 goals and 27 assists.
STRONG BETWEEN THE PIPES
Freshman goalkeeper Payton Roehrich has been a huge addition for the Tigers this year. He earned All-GAC/MIAA First Team and D2CCA All-Central Region First Team honors this year. He ranks second nationally in goals against average (.402) and fourth in save percentage (.862) and individual shutouts (11). The 11 individual shutouts is a new program record for a season at FHSU. However, he also has five combined shutouts this year in games he started but the Tigers won by four or more goals. If he would have completed those games, he would own the national lead, which is currently 14 by Konstantinos Parisis of Charleston (W.Va.).
ONE OF NATION'S TOP OFFENSES
The three FHSU forwards who were D2CCA All-Central Region selections this season have scored 33 of the team's 68 goals this season. Elias Ovelar Semeniuk leads the way with 15, while Juan Linares and Bastian Carlman each have 9. They account for 84 of the team's 200 points for the season as well. But, the Tigers have scoring threats all over the field as seven other players have three or more for the year. A total of 18 players on the Tiger roster have scored at least one goal this year. The Tigers are the national leader in goals scored and points.
A STRONG DEFENSE AS WELL
As solid as the Tigers have been in scoring goals, they have been very solid defensively this year as well with 16 shutouts as a team in 23 matches. The Tigers rank second nationally in shutout percentage (.696) and are tied with Charleston (W.Va.) for the most shutouts as a team this year with 16. They are also second in goals against average (.435). The Tigers allow on average just 7.3 shots per match. Only six of 193 teams in NCAA Division II averaged less than 7.3 shots per game this season, which shows how strong FHSU is at limiting opportunities this year as well. FHSU has allowed two goals in a match just three times this season, and just one goal in a match four times. The Tigers have yielded just 10 goals all season.
3 TIGERS NAMED TO D2CCA ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Fort Hays State had three players named to the D2CCA All-America Team for the 2025 season. Elias Ovelar Semeniuk was a First Team selection at forward, Payton Roehrich was a Second Team selection at goalkeeper, and Dimitry Tchantcheu was a Third Team selection at defender. Ovelar Semeniuk is just the second Tiger in program history to earn a first-team selection on the D2CCA All-America Team, joining forward Santiago Agudelo who was the D2CCA National Player of the Year in 2018. Roehrich is just the second goalkeeper in the history of the program to earn All-America honors, joining Fernando Pina who was a third-team selection in 2018. The Tigers landed a third-team selection on defense for the second-straight year after Marcos German earned the honor last year. German is now one of the assistant coaches for the Tigers.