EDMOND, Okla. - The team that was picked to finish last in the conference in August saw its season come to a close much later in the fall than anyone could have expected as Rogers State lost 5-1 to Oklahoma Christian in Region VI Tournament action on Saturday night.
 

The first-year Hillcat program finished second in the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season and advanced to the regional tournament before ultimately running out of gas. Cristian Fernandes led the OC offensive attack with a hat trick. RSU trailed 2-0 in the early going before Shemord Thompson found the back of the net with 20:51 remaining in the first half.
 

The Eagles outshot the Hillcats 22-to-9 in the match and pulled away in the second half with three goals. It was a disappointing end to a wildly successful inaugural season for the RSU men.
 

"This group of young men paved the way for the future of our program," said RSU Soccer Coach Derek Larkin. "Finishing second in the SAC as a new program is quite an accomplishment and we're excited about where we can go from here."
 

The Hillcats completed the year with a record of 11-5-2 with a roster comprised of 17 freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and no seniors.