COMMERCE– He's been saying it his entire coaching career. It's not easy to win a soccer match. It's not easy to win multiple soccer matches. It's not easy to win Lone Star Conference soccer matches. Well, if it's not easy to win one soccer match, head coach Neil Piper would surely say it's difficult to go undefeated in 12 of 13 matches over the course of October and November. That's exactly what the 1999 Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team did. Along the way, the team won its first LSC Championship, its first LSC Tournament Championship, and qualified for its first berth into the NCAA Tournament.

"The 1999 season was a special one for me and an exciting one for the team," Piper said in a video montage of the '99 season. "We had a good '98 season and we returned the core of the team. Seniors Laurie Donovan, Laurie Knapp, Sherri Konlande, and Irene Yanez, along with Denise Cowan, Lynette Bass, and Stacy Carr. They provided some great experience for us. We had some good freshmen join us: goalkeeper Sarah Fagan, Jana Sandall, Laurie Lusignan, and Michelle Acuff. And we had some really special transfers: Vanessa Lazcano, Jenna Mamola, Toni Catchings, and Erin Adamson. Those last two were difference makers and they put us over the top."
 
It was a strong start to the season, as the Lions went 5-1 in their first six games, including a pair of road wins in Colorado. The Lions started the season with a win over Regis, a team who had gone to the NCAA Final Four in the 1996 season, a sign to Piper that the team was off in the right direction. The team's lone setback came at home against St. Mary's in a 2-1 decision.

On Sept. 24, the Lions would host East Central to open their conference season, winning 3-0 on what was the first ever game played at the Lion Soccer Field. The team would then suffer a tough defeat to Incarnate Word 1-0 at home. The Lions would have the opportunity to avenge that loss later on in their postseason run.

"We lost to Incarnate Word 2-1," Piper said. "That was a great game and a tough loss. Little did we know, we were going to play them in the Sweet 16."
 
With the calendar flipping to October, the Lions got on a hot streak, winning six matches in a row, starting with two wins in Arkansas by a score of 12-1. The goal seemingly got smaller for the Lion opponents, as during the month of October, goalkeeper Sarah Fagan had seven shutouts and gave up just four goals in the team's 10 games. The goal also seemed wider for the Lion offense, as they scored 31 goals in those 10 games, including five or more goals in four different games. Part of that win streak was a monumental win over Midwestern State, the previous LSC Champion.

"We went to Arkansas and beat Ouachita Baptist and Harding by a combined score of 12-1. That got us back on track," Piper said. "That got us ready for the biggest game of the season so far, against Midwestern State at home. They were the defending conference champs and they had knocked us out the year before. That was a big one for us, and we got goals from Erin Adamson and Lynette Bass, and we beat them 2-0."

The Lions then faced a tough test, having to play back-to-back days in Oklahoma against two tough opponents. The Lions fell to Northeastern State 2-1 in the first game, and Piper was afraid it spoiled the team's chances.

"We went to Northeastern State and got beat 2-1, and I thought the season was over," Piper lamented. "The next day we played Central Oklahoma, and it was a must-win. It was a must-win game for us. They were at the top of the conference and they were a high-scoring team. We went there and played really hard and beat them 1-0. Stacy Carr scored on a breakaway. And that was all we needed."

The Lions would go on to defeat Southwestern Oklahoma State 7-0 and were in a position to win the regular season conference championship if they could get a win or a tie against West Texas A&M in the regular season finale. The Lions drew a tie, winning their first ever LSC Championship in their fifth year of competition. The team finished the LSC season 7-1-1, with a 13-3-1 record overall.

"The last game of the season was against West Texas A&M and we had to win or tie to win the regular season conference title," Piper recalled. "And we tied 0-0. It was another tough battle, and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a wet, muddy game. We scratched and fought and earned the regular season title."
 
Cue their first rematch, as in the first round, the Lions faced off against Northeastern State, who handed the team its lone defeat in conference play. The Lions controlled the game throughout, winning 4-0. A&M-Commerce would go on to defeat Midwestern State 2-1 in the championship game in Wichita Falls to earn the team's first LSC Tournament Championship. The win also secured the team its first berth into the NCAA Tournament.

With 16 teams entering the 1999 tournament, the Lions were joined by Incarnate Word as the two teams from the South Central Region to make the NCAA Tournament. The teams would face off, with the winner taking on the winner of the West Region. It was another rematch that again went the Lions' way, as A&M-Commerce won a 1-0 defensive battle in San Antonio.

"At that time, only two teams [from each region] made it to the NCAA's," Piper said. "We went to Incarnate Word for the Sweet 16 and Jana Sandall scored early on a header off a free kick. And we made that hold up. We defended well. They didn't have many chances, but I remember near the end they had a 3-on-1 breakaway and Sarah Fagan made a great save to seal the victory for us."
 
Piper in his postgame remarks credited the midfield for playing tremendous defense through the game, winning multiple balls in the air to hold off the UIW attack, specifically highlighting the play of future Lion Hall of Famer Toni Catchings. Fagan had eight saves as the team earned its 11th shutout of the season, which still stands as the program record.
 
The Lions advanced to the Elite Eight, and they would travel to Pomona, Calif. to take on Cal State Pomona. CSP scored first in the 19th minute, before the Lions answered back two minutes later, with a goal from Erin Adamson. The teams could not get a go-ahead goal in regulation, and the game went into overtime. After a scoreless first overtime, CSP scored in the 119th minute on a controversial goal to win the game.
 
On the season, coach Piper was named the LSC Coach of the Year, while six Lions were named First Team All-LSC (Erin Adamson, Stacy Carr, Toni Catchings, Laurie Donovan, Sarah Fagan, and Sherri Konlande). Carr, Catchings, Donovan, Fagan and Konlande were members of the LSC All-Tournament team, with Catchings being named Tournament MVP. Catchings and Fagan were named First Team All-Region, while Adamson was Second Team All-Region and Carr was Third Team All-Region.

"Obviously it was a great season and it was one I wish we could do again," Piper concluded.
 
The 1999 team was inducted into the Lion Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010, the first team to go into the Hall of Fame under the name Texas A&M-Commerce.