SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – After four days of rest following a tough loss to West Texas A&M last Sunday, Lions soccer (6-3-0) is taking the show on the road in hopes of rebounding on Friday against undefeated division rivals, the No. 10 Angelo State University (7-0-1).
 
Despite their dominant overall record, the Rambelles actually place below the Lions in the Lone Star Conference with a 0-0-1 record against LSC opponents. The Lions meanwhile sport a 1-1 LSC record, which puts them in a four-way tie for first place.
 
Even though they're undefeated, Angelo State's success thus far may be somewhat overstated. Their seven wins come exclusively against out-of-conference opponents. Adding up those teams' records, they combine to be 12-37-11, which makes for a winning percentage of a .292. The Rambelles have only played two teams on the year who are currently above .500, New Mexico Highlands (4-3-1) and LSC rivals Midwestern State (5-0-4), the latter of whom they tied. According to the NCAA's ranking of toughest schedules, Angelo State ranks 215 out of 254 schools.
 
Nonetheless, ASU has achieved a rather remarkable goal disparity, having outscored opponents 31-3 through eight games. Junior keeper Shantel Wittke has seen the most action in goal for the Rambelles, having played in six games while amassing four shutouts and a 5-0-1 record. She's made 27 saves on the year for a save percentage of .900, a respectable total. Across the field, the Lions have relied on junior keeper Courtnie Northern quite a bit more. Northern has compiled a 6-3 record with three shutouts on the year, and has made an obscene 56 saves for a save percentage of .889.
 
Offensively, Angelo State's 31 goals have come from 14 different players, no surprise from a team playing its reserves so often in one-sided games. However, four players have been responsible for the majority of the offense: sophomore midfielder Haley Mendel (7G, 3A), freshman midfielder Loni Byers (4G, 2A), sophomore forward Jenny Kotowych (3G, 3A), and junior forward Sierra Anderson (4G). Conversely, the Lions will likely continue to rely on reigning LSC Offensive Player of the Week Savannah Henderson (8G, 2A), as well as fellow forward Jade Bell (4G, 5A) to crack the ASU defense.
 
Historically, the Lions hold the all-time advantage against Angelo State, having compiled a 13-8-2 record against the Rambelles since 1996. However, ASU has had the upper hand in recent years, having gone 4-0-1 against A&M-Commerce in the last five games. The last time the Lions were able to get a win in San Angelo was back in September of 2011, when A&M-Commerce won 3-2.
 
The contest is scheduled for Friday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. After that, the Lions will have a day to recover before traveling to Wichita Falls on Sunday, October 5 to face the 5-0-4 Midwestern State University Mustangs at 1:00 p.m.