WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- No. 6 Midwestern State battles No. 12 Fort Hays State (Kan.) in its home opener Thursday night at Stang Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

MIDWESTERN STATE vs FORT HAYS STATE

Thursday, Sept. 8 | 7:30 p.m.
Stang Park | Wichita Falls, Texas

SERIES HISTORY | MSU leads, 2-0

LAST MEETING | Current Midwestern State assistant coach Ross Fitzpatrick headed in the game winner in the 77th minute to lift the No. 2-ranked Mustangs to a 2-1 win over No. 15 Fort Hays State on Sept. 6, 2018 at the Oklahoma Baptist Soccer Complex in Shawnee. Hikaruhito Meike accounted for the opener in the 35th minute before Fort Hays State's Moritz Walther knotted the match at 1-1 in the 64th minute.

LAST TIME OUT | Midwestern State got out to a quick start, then held on for a 2-0 win at Rogers State Thursday night in Claremore. Jack Larkin put the Mustangs on the board heading in a precision cross from Mere Escobar in the third minute of the game. The Mustangs push the lead to 2-0 in the 30th minute when Sulahmana Bah finished off a series of three headers controlled by MSU off of a corner kick with his first goal for the Maroon & Gold. Bah completed the triple header off of the noggins of Rory Doyle and Juan Galindo. Adam Braman saved a penalty kick to complete the clean sheet in his first start in goal for the Mustangs.

MUSTANGS TRACKS | Midwestern State faces its second opponent ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Division II poll this season after knocking off No. 9 Colorado Mesa , 3-2, in the season opener... The Mustangs are 12-7-2 against nationally ranked opposition since Michael Meachum took over the program prior to the 2018 season... MSU produced back-to-back clean sheets since letting in two goals in the opener against Colorado Mesa... Seven different Mustangs have scored goals through the first three matches of the season... Junior Mere Escobar and senior Brandon Martinez-Trelles lead the way with two goals each... Junior goalkeeper Adam Braman has not allowed a goal in 113 minutes between the posts this season... Braman made five saves denying a penalty kick while making his first start and playing a full 90 minutes against Rogers State... Fifth-year senior Marc-Antoine Huzen, the reigning LSC Goalkeeper of the Year allowed two goals against Colorado Mesa before going 67 scoreless minutes against Regis...

SCOUTING THE TIGERS | Fort Hays State (2-1-1) faces its second nationally ranked opponent of the campaign after beating then-No. 23 Colorado State-Pueblo 2-1 in the opener... The Tigers suffered a 2-0 loss at UC Colorado Springs and a 1-1 draw against Rockhurst (Mo.) before recovering for a 2-0 win at Metro State (Colo.)... Fort Hays State had made nine NCAA Division II postseason appearances since starting the men's soccer program in 2011 including a national semifinal appearance in 2018 and a quarterfinal showing last fall... Freshmen Callum Frogson and Tre Smith lead the Tigers' attack with two goals each, while junior defender Inigo Jimenez is the top distributor with three assists... Senior Kieran Brown has played all 360 minutes between the posts permitting four goals for a 1.00 goals against average...

UP NEXT | Midwestern State faces Southern Nazarene Saturday night at Stang Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.