COMMERCE – For the first time since November 2019, the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's soccer team will take to the pitch in true competition, opening the Spring 2021 season on Wednesday against UT Tyler. The Lions last played 469 days ago at the end of the fall 2019 season. 
 
WHO: UT Tyler at A&M-Commerce
WHERE: Commerce | Lion Soccer Field
WHEN: 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24
RECORDS: This is the season opener for A&M-Commerce, while UT Tyler is 1-1 with a pair of games against Division I opposition.

TELEVISION/LIVE VIDEO: LSC Digital Network
LIVE STATS: http://statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=tame
 
The Lions:
A&M-Commerce is led by head coach Neil Piper, who will coach the Lions for the 23^rd season this spring. He enters the season with a 257-143-38 record. He ranks 16^th in among active Division II coaches and 35^th in Division II all-time in coaching victories. He ranks fifth in coaching wins at schools in the state of Texas.
 
The Lions were picked to finish seventh in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, which is the fourth-highest in the division behind DBU, West Texas A&M, and Texas Woman's. The Lions ranked fourth in the conference in goals against last year.
 
The vast majority of the Lions' offensive production from 2019 is back for this season, as 82.1 percent of goals and all of the assists are back. This is led by Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) who was a third team all-region and second team all-conference pick with seven goals and nine assists in 2019. She ranked second in the LSC in shots taken, second in assists, and 10^th in goals scored.
 
Kara Blasingame (Oswego, Ill.) and Amber Crews (Lewisville) tied for second on the team in goals with four apiece last season.
 
Cora Welch (Plano Senior) was third team all-region and second team all-conference in the midfield last season and had a goal and an assist. Goalkeeper Jen Peters (Allen) played every minute of the season in 2019 with nine shutouts and a 0.82 goals against average, which ranked third in the LSC. Her 86.2 save percentage was tops in the league.

On the opponent…
UT Tyler is predicted to finish in ninth in the LSC Preseason Poll, which is sixth of the seven teams in the division. The Patriots have played twice against Division I opposition this season, with a 3-0 loss to Louisiana-Monroe and a 1-0 win over Stephen F. Austin. Kiersten Ehler was the lone goal scorer.
 
Kaycee West is the leading returner, as she scored five goals for the Patriots in 2019. No other returners scored more than one goal.
 
Like the Lions, the Patriots are led by one of the deans of college women's coaches in the state, as Stefanie Webb enters her 24^th season with a 274-117-26 record split between Dallas and UTT. She is fourth in the state in wins at Texas schools, one spot ahead of Piper.
 
On the series history…
This is the second match between the two schools. The Lions were 2-1 victors on October 10, 2019 with goals from Campuzano and Naomi Sink.