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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 12-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team saw its season come to an end in the 2014 NCAA Championship Third Round Friday night at DeLoache Field.
 
The RiverHawks (16-3-2) tied with No. 23-ranked Fort Hays State (11-5-4) 1-1, but the Tigers won the penalty-kick shootout 3-2.
 
The deciding penalty kick was scored by Diego Cabral in the fifth round. Anthony Hernandez and Maurizio Costa converted their PK's for FHSU. Tanner Brock and Mauricio Castorino had both of their attempts saved.  
 
Senior forward Juan Peralta and senior midfielder Jordan Schmoker both made their attempts for Northeastern State. Junior defender Crosby Lee, senior defender Adam Schmoker and freshman forward Ricardo Palomino all missed wide.
 
The match was sent to extra time after both teams scored once in the second half.
 
Michael Cole put the visitors on top with a tally in the 50th minute. That was FHSU's lone shot on goal in the match.
 
Lee responded for the RiverHawks with the equalizer in the 63rd minute after junior midfielder Paul Samia's initial shot was saved by Tiger goalkeeper Kent Freund.
 
Freund's record now stands at 10-4-4 after he made four saves in the draw. He was not forced to make a stop in the shootout, as all three NSU misses went wide.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Biles did not make a save in the match and finished the season with a 15-3-2 record. Both FHSU misses in the shootout were stopped by Biles.
 
 
NSU ends the campaign with its second trip to the NCAA tournament in the last three years. The RiverHawks also won both the MIAA regular season and tournament titles.
 
FHSU has still yet to win a match in the national event, but the side advanced to the quarterfinals for a meeting against No. 5 Quincy. The two teams will meet at 1 p.m. Nov. 23 in Tahlequah.
 
The all-time record between Northeastern State and Fort Hays State remained level and is now 3-3-5.
 
Shootout Results
Crosby Lee (NSU) – Missed
Tanner Brock (FHSU) – Missed
Adam Schmoker (NSU) – Missed
Anthony Hernandez (FHSU) – MADE
Jordan Schmoker (NSU) – MADE
Mauricio Castorino (FHSU) – Missed
Juan Peralta (NSU) – MADE
Maurizio Costa (FHSU) – MADE
Ricardo Palomino (NSU) – Missed
Diego Cabral (FHSU) – MADE
 
FHSU HEAD COACH BRETT PARKER
Opening statement...
"Anytime we're playing Northeastern State, over the brief history of our rivalry, it's going to take a lot or something crazy most of the time. We knew this is a tough place to play and we knew it was going to be a battle. Even when we went up a goal I knew it was far from over and it was still going to take a lot. Penalty kicks is basically a lottery. We practiced them, we've had our order set for a couple weeks, so it was just a matter of going out and executing it. As crazy as the game was, the shootout was just as crazy."
 
On making it to the NCAA tournament for three straight years...
"This was huge. This is our third year in the regional championship. Two years ago we got blown out when it was a little too big for us. Last year we played really well and lost a close one to Lindenwood. This was a big year for us and a big game to show that we can take the next step and represent the region in the region final."
 
On facing Quincy...
"Quincy is a powerhouse. They've had a great season. It's going to take something special. It's going to take a big effort from us. We're going to get as rested up as we can and hope we can represent the conference and the region as good as we can."
 
FHSU PLAYER DIEGO CABRAL
On advancing to the next round...
"It's big time. It's the first time in program history. It's such an accomplishment. It was one of our objectives this season and we got it. We're really happy about it."
 
On taking the winning penalty shot...
"I've been in this situation before, so I wasn't that nervous. But we're going to celebrate for about an hour and then get ready for Sunday and Quincy."
 
NSU HEAD COACH ROB CZLONKA
Opening statement...
"It's a tough way to finish your season off: going to penalty kicks. It's very frustrating. Jackson Biles did a tremendous job in the shootout stopping the first two. It's a tough way to lose."
 
On the season overall...
"It has been a great season. Winning the regular season conference and then the conference tournament has been fantastic. Those were milestone goals along the way that we sets for ourselves. Our guys performed well all season. Tonight, I give credit to Fort Hays State. They performed their game plan pretty well. I thought we weren't ourselves necessarily. Getting into the attack we seemed to mishandle the ball quite a bit. We didn't find a lot of shots in the first half. But I still felt like we did well and we created some good opportunities in the second half. Unfortunately we weren't able to find the back of the net. Then we went to the penalty kicks and you miss a couple and you don't win. It's frustrating. I thought our guys deserve a little more. But deserving it and taking it are two different things."
 
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