Games 17 & 18

vs No. 16 Fort Hays State (10-3-3, 7-2-2)
Thursday, November 7th | 7:00 PM | Wilkins Field
Video | Stats

at No. 22 Southern Nazarene (10-3-4, 7-1-3)
Saturday, November 9th | 7:30 PM | Bethany, Okla.
Video | Stats

Last Time Out
Newman played two games in Oklahoma last week, facing Rogers State on Thursday and Northeastern State on Saturday. The Jets battled with the Hillcats in a very competitive first half that ended 0-0 with both teams having a couple chances on goal. The second half started with a RSU goal that was followed by two quick goals to take a 3-0 lead early in the second half. Newman was shown a red card after the third goal, making it harder to hope for a comeback. The match ended 5-2 in favor of the Hillcats. 
After Thursday's results, the Jets only needed a tie against Northeastern State to clinch a spot in the MIAA/GAC postseason Championship. Tomas Melon scored his first career goal off of a cross by Gustavo Dias Juliani to give the Jets the lead in the first half. NSU was able to score once in the second half to tie the game. The match ended 1-1, giving Newman the point that they needed to reach their objective. 

Scouting the Jets
Newman made history on Saturday, clinching a spot in the MIAA/GAC playoffs for the first time in program history. It's the fifth time the Jets go to postseason in the NCAA era. The last time a men's soccer team went to playoffs was in 2018 when the Jets lost in the Lone Star conference semifinal against Midwestern State. Alberto Romano broke the record for most shots on goal in a season after his three shots against Rogers State. He currently has 29 and the record was previously held at 27 by Carlos Bellosta Manchon. Romano tallies 12 goals and 1 assist, and it's only one goal behind leading the conference in goals. Gustavo Dias Juliani accumulates 10 assists so far this season and two goals. 

Behind Enemy Lines
The Fort Hays State Tigers haven't lost a game since October 3rd when they lost to Rogers State 0-1. After that, they tally 9 games without losing, with 7 wins and two ties. Their last match was against Rogers State this past Saturday, and it ended 1-1. Their game against Newman will be their last game of the regular season. 

Southern Nazarene will play their last regular season game against Newman. The Crimson Storm are currently first in the MIAA/GAC standings, and a win against Newman would secure the regular season title for them. SNU's offense is led by Unaiz Shajani who also leads the conference with 13 goals and 28 points. 

The Series
The Tigers hold a 11-2 record against the Jets. The last time Newman beat Fort Hays was in 2022 with a final 1-0 score.

The Jets have a 7-6 record against the Crimson Storm. The last time they faced each other was ealier this season when the Jets beat ranked SNU 5-3. The Jets beat SNU 1-2 the last time they visited Bethany. 

Up Next
The Jets will head to the MIAA/GAC conference tournament next week in a place yet to be determined.