Men's Soccer 10/9/2012 12:33:00 PM Tyler Madsen, Truman Athletics

Men's Soccer Week 7 Notes: vs. #17 FHSU | vs. SNU

Weekly Schedule:
Thursday, Oct. 11 – vs. #17 Fort Hays State – 3:00 pm – Kirksville, Mo.
Live Stats

Saturday, Oct. 13 – vs. Southern Nazarene – 2:00 pm – Kirksville, Mo.
Live Stats

PDF Notes

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - The travel bags get to remain in the closet for the Truman men's soccer team as, after spending nine of the first 11 matches of 2012 on the road, the Bulldogs kick off a regular season-ending five match MIAA homestand with Fort Hays State and Southern Nazarene this Thursday and Saturday.

The Bulldogs (6-4-1, 3-1-1 MIAA) return to league play following a 1-1 jaunt outside of MIAA action last week. Truman dropped a 4-1 decision to then-No. 16 Rockhurst on Wednesday (Oct. 3) before riding an Andy Chapman hat trick to a 3-2 overtime win at Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday (Oct. 6).

This week, a pair of cross-divisional foes travel to Kirksville, as the Bulldogs will face first-time opponents for the last time this season. The 17^th-ranked Fort Hays Tigers bring their second-place standing in the league to the Bulldog Soccer Park on Thursday at 3:00 pm prior to Southern Nazarene – an MIAA affiliate member for men's soccer only – makes a Kirksville stop on Saturday at 2:00 pm.

A young Bulldog squad made it through the road/neutral portion of the 2012 regular season with a 5-3-1 mark, including a 5-1-1 record after dropping their first two. On the season, Truman has a +2 goal differential and is averaging 2.09 goals per game – highlighted by Chapman's team-high eight, just one off the MIAA lead. Fellow senior Charlie Backus, meanwhile, has opened up a four-assist lead amongst all MIAA players, as his third multi-assist match of the season at IWC raised his season total to nine. He ranks fifth in the nation in total assists, trailing the national leader by two.

Sophomore Drew Garrone has spent the most time in net as of late, having made 29 saves on the season and posting a 2.19 goals-against average.

Duke Cochran is in his eighth season at the helm of the Bulldog men's soccer program and has a career record of 77-49-12. His full bio is available either online at TrumanBulldogs.com or in the full PDF weekly notes.

Weekly Recap with Coach Cochran:
To watch this week's weekly recap with coach Duke Cochran, click the video link below. If the video is not appearing, please access the full weekly notes at TrumanBulldogs.com.

Following the Bulldogs:
Full coverage of Truman men's soccer is available online at TrumanBulldogs.com, including results, upcoming match information and weekly updates.

When available, links to free online live stats are added to the Bulldog men's soccer schedule page as well as the top of each weekly update.

Keep up with the Bulldogs by tracking in-game updates (when available). Follow Truman Athletics on Twitter (@TrumanAthletics). Also be sure to sign up for Text Caster and Newsletter updates on the TrumanBulldogs.com homepage.

Quick Look Around the League:
The eight-team MIAA has begun to see clear separation between the top half and bottom half as every team has played five of its ten scheduled league contests. Lindenwood has had the best run thus far, going unbeaten (4-0-1) for 13 points, while both Fort Hays State and Northeastern State are close in tow with 12 points each. Truman sits a solid fourth with 10 points but is just one win away from tying for first.

Harding (6 points) leads the second section, with both Upper Iowa and Southern Nazarene totaling three points behind 1-4 conference marks. Southwest Baptist (0-5) is still in search of its first MIAA point.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top four teams will head to Olathe, Kan., for the MIAA semifinals and championship on Nov. 1 and 3.

The eight MIAA teams are joined by Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) in comprising the NCAA Div. II Central region, with the top two teams in the region following the MIAA tournament qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

Lindenwood University, still in provisional NCAA Div. II qualifying, is ineligible for NCAA postseason competition this season but can still compete in the MIAA postseason tournament due to no automatic berths to the NCAA tournament in men's soccer.

Chapman Goes for Three … Again:
Senior forward Andy Chapman logged his second career hat trick, bringing his career goal scoring total to 24, in Saturday's 3-2 win at Iowa Wesleyan. He last accomplished the feat on Oct. 1, 2010 in a 7-0 home win against Maryville (Mo.) University.

Checking Out the Competition:
#17 Fort Hays State “Tigers” (8-3-1, 4-1 MIAA)
Coming off an 0-1-1 home weekend against Eastern New Mexico and West Texas A&M, Fort Hays State will start a four-match road trip on Thursday afternoon by visiting Kirksville for a 3:00 pm match.

The Tigers have a +14 goal differential on the season, aided nicely by three-goal wins against Colorado Christian and Southern Nazarene, as well as a 7-0 thumping of Southwest Baptist on Sept. 29, but are just out-shooting opponents 175-163. The Tigers have been the beneficiaries of six penalty kicks this season (converting five) and have scored 18 of their 31 goals in the second half.

Tomas Mares leads the Tigers with seven goals, while Diego Cabral (6), Michael Cole (5) and Daniel Peralta (5) have contributed significantly to the team's 31 total goals. The tandem of Kent Freund and Ryan Pakieser has combined for a 1.38 GAA in net and a 79% save mark with just one shutout.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will meet for the third time in the all-time series, with last seasons two FHSU wins marking the only other meetings. FHSU won 4-0 in Kirksville before defeating the 'Dogs 3-2 in Hays.

Brett Parker is in his second season as the program's only coach and has a 19-8-3 record at the school.

Southern Nazarene “Crimson Storm” (1-12, 1-4 MIAA)
Affiliate members of the MIAA in men's soccer only, Southern Nazarene has posted a 1-12 record this season, with its lone win coming in a 4-0 blitz of Southwest Baptist on Sept. 27 at home. SNU travels to Upper Iowa for a Thursday match before stopping in Kirksville on Saturday.

The Crimson Storm have a -29 goal differential this season and are averaging just 1.00 goal per game while allowing 3.23. Hajime Chumpitaz is the squad's top offensive threat, having had a hand in nine of the team's 13 goals (6 goals, 3 assists). Blake Anderson has played every minute in net, posting a 3.21 GAA and a 64.1% save mark.

Truman and SNU have never played in men's soccer, as the Crimson Storm are currently transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Div. II.

George Schroeder is in his fifth season at the helm of the Crimson Storm program, where he has a career record of 35-43-5.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs celebrate Homecoming and Senior Day next weekend by hosting Lindenwood at 2:00 pm on Friday, Oct. 19 and Southwest Baptist at 2:00 pm on Sunday, Oct. 21. Truman will recognize seniors Charlie Backus, Andy Chapman, Kyle Menges and Mike Kane prior to Sunday's kickoff.

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