COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team will head on the road this week as they face West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico.
 
Game 1: A&M-Commerce (4-2-1, 1-1-0 LSC) at West Texas A&M (2-3-0, 1-0-0 LSC)
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: The Pitch in Canyon, Texas
LIVE STATS: Click HERE
LIVE VIDEO: http://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/commerce
 
Game 2: A&M-Commerce at Eastern New Mexico (3-1-1, 0-1-0 LSC)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 5 at Noon MDT (1 p.m. CDT)
WHERE: Greyhound Stadium in Portales, New Mexico
LIVE STATS: Click HERE
LIVE VIDEO: http://www.lonestarconferencenetwork.com/enmu/
 
The Lions are coming off of a split in their first week of conference action. After falling 3-1 to Lubbock Christian on Thursday, they bounced back on Saturday, defeating UT Permian Basin 6-1. Head coach Neil Piper liked the way his team bounced back after a tough opening loss.
 
"On Thursday, everything that could go wrong did go wrong for us," he said. "I think Lubbock Christian had a lot to do with that. It was not one of our better nights and they took advantage of that. They were the better team. Then Saturday we came back and played a little bit better and got the win. Fortunately for us, UTPB had a lot of injuries, and I guess we took advantage of that."
 
The Lions now head on the road for their longest trip of the season. Piper always says this is the toughest trip his team takes every year, not just because of the distance, but because of the two quality programs.
 
"This is our furthest trip, it's long and windy and all those thing," he said. "In the seasons we do well, we seem to win there. It is a test for us, with all the different conditions. Plus it is two really good teams. When you add in that, it's not a very fun trip."
 
Looking to establish some momentum and to see what his team is made of, Piper is looking for his team to put two good games together. He knows this road trip will be a test for his team early in the conference season.
 
"I just want to compete and have a good showing," he said. "We have to do better in the air. For some reason, we are not doing as well in the air this year. We are working on that. We have to get some goals from our forwards, and get some chances. It is still relatively early in the season. We just to get more consistent, win balls and move forward to help our defense out a little bit."