Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's soccer team closes out its 2016 regular season this weekend with home games against No. 25 Fort Hays State and Emporia State.

The game Friday vs. the Tigers starts at 2:00 p.m.; the original schedule had listed TBA. On Sunday, "Senior Day", the Hornets come to town at 1:00 p.m. Check the Loper schedule page for media links.

UNK (6-7-3, 3-4-2) is in sole possession of ninth place in the MIAA standings with 11 points. In soccer, a team receives three points for each conference win and one point for a tie.

Two wins and the Lopers likely will make the eight-team MIAA Tournament for a second consecutive fall. A tie against the Tigers (12-3-1, 8-1; 24 points) and a win over ESU (7-7-2, 5-4; 15 points) would also likely have UNK playing on the road Tuesday, November 1st, in the first round.

Emporia,

Lindenwood, Washburn and Missouri Western State each have 15 points and in a four-way tie for fifth place ahead of the Lopers. E-State is at Washburn Friday with the Tigers hosting the Ichabods Sunday.

Earlier this year in non-conference games in Kansas, UNK beat Emporia, 1-0, while tying Hays, 1-1 (2 OT). The game against the Tigers ended in a bit of controversy.

Hays is currently tied with Central Missouri for first place in the MIAA and is also third in the NCAA region rankings. Those rankings determine what teams make the NCAA Tournament; UCM was the only MIAA squad in the six-team NCAA Central Regional last year.

Winners of six straight and having a 5-2 road record, FHSU has outscored its competition 31-7. A balanced attack includes Australian Eden Stoddard (15 points; seven goals) and junior Kelsey Steffens (14 points; four assists). In goal, sophomore Abbie Flax has made 46 saves and maintains a 0.41 GAA.

Back on September 16th, UNK got a goal from Hastings junior Marika Van Brocklin right before halftime to tie things up at one. Over 110 minutes, the teams combined for 34 fouls, two yellow cards and 17 shots.

Emporia has won two straight to be at 5-2-1 on the road this season. The Hornets have tallied 20 goals to date while allowing just 11.

Veteran keeper Yadria Rivera has 63 saves, three shut outs and a 0.70 GAA. Offensively, three ESU players have scored three times, including freshman Tanna Benefiel.  

On September 23rd, redshirt freshman Allie Prososki (Kearney Catholic H.S.) made seven saves and junior Kaitlyn Pawloski (Hastings H.S.) scored at 89:09 to give the Lopers a 1-0 win.

Prososki currently has a 0.84 GAA, which would break Katelin Mielke's school record of 0.94 set three falls ago. And Prososki's save percentage of .850 ranks second only to Vanessa Leeper's .863, achieved in 2010.

UNK's defense has allowed only one goal the past five games (594 minutes) and just 16 all season. The team's seven shut outs are the second most in school history (8.0 in 2013).

On Sunday, prior to the Emporia contest, seniors Kristyn Otter (Omaha), Evie Sintek (Norfolk) and Kadie Walaszczyk (Houston) will be honored.