CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State scored three early second-half goals to power the Hillcats to a 3-0 victory over Southern Nazarene in Great American Conference play.
 
Less than 90 seconds into the second half, Jake Simpson scored his sixth goal of the season to put the Hillcats (5-2-1, 2-2 GAC) in front. After Grant King led Simpson with a pass through the center of the defense, Simpson continued his run to just inside the penalty area, before tucking a right-footed effort just inside the right post to beat Southern Nazarne's (1-7-0, 0-4-0 GAC) Bence Moscari.
 
Simpson would then set up Jordan Watson for Rogers State's other two goals in the 56^th and 57^th minutes of the contest. On the first goal, Simpson fed Watson with a pass in from the wing before Watson fired a shot from just left of the top of the box into the lower right corner.
 
72 seconds later, Simpson would play a ball in from the left wing that worked its way through several players in front of net and Watson smashed a left-footed effort into the roof of the net from close range for his second goal of the game and third in two games.
 
At the other end of the field, Dillon Dean made his first appearance of the season and picked up the shutout victory with three saves.
 
Rogers State outshot the Hillcats 20-6 in the game, including 11-1 in the first half.
 
The Hillcats nearly took the lead in the 17^th minute when Chris Sowder's shot went off the woodwork above Moscari. Sowder's shot bounced straight down and then out off the cross bar. Jaime Ponce then tried to knock home the rebound, but Moscari was able to block it before the ball was cleared off the line.
 
A few minutes later Michael Turner thought he had put the Hillcats in front, connecting on Watson's free kick into the box, putt his effort into the top of the goal, but Turner was called offside.
 
With the victory, the Hillcats improve to 4-0-0 at home in 2019. The Hillcats also improved to 5-0-1 when Simpson scored this season.
 
The Hillcats will return to action next Friday, making the short trip to Tahlequah to take on Northeastern State in Great American Conference play. The Hillcats will kickoff with the RiverHawks, who are receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, at 7 p.m. on October 4 at DeLoache Field.