COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team sits in first place with two matches left in the regular season and heads to UIW on Friday night for the first of two road matches to close out the season.  

WHO: A&M-Commerce at UIW
WHERE: San Antonio | Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium
WHEN: Friday, October 25 | 7 p.m.
RECORDS: The Lions are 6-8-3 overall and 5-2-1 in Southland Conference play, while UIW is 7-7-2 overall and 4-4 against SLC opponents.  
 
WATCH: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/c5a0b7af-8578-4cdb-9de3-58871f8e36d6
LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/incarnateword/wsoc/

SLC TITLE UP FOR GRABS
The Lions went 1-1 at home last week in their final two matches of the season at the Lion Soccer Field, to remain in front with 16 points in the SLC standings. Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern are tied for second with 15 points each, with the Ladyjacks having played one less match than the Lions, who do own the head-to-head tiebreaker over both SFA and Southeastern. 

BACK TO FORM ON THE ROAD
After tripping up at home to A&M-Corpus Christi, the Lions went on the road and picked up two road wins at Nicholls and Northwestern State. In the win over the Colonels, the Lions did not allow a shot on goal, and came back from being a goal down to win 2-1 at the Lady Demons. The two wins are the only two road wins for the Lions thus far this season. 

THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE
Kaydence Ramirez (Waxahachie) announced her return to the lineup in emphatic fashion with four goals against SFA and Southeastern, scoring a brace against both SFA and Southeastern. She is the SLC leader in goals and points during conference play and second overall. She also scored a goal in each of the matches last week. 

RAMIREZ, DENNING EARNED SLC HONORS
Following the two wins against SFA and Southeastern, Ramirez and Sloane Denning (Flower Mound Marcus) earned recognition from the Southland conference, with Ramirez being named the offensive player of the week, while Denning was named the defensive player of the week. Denning has logged 90 minutes in the first three conference matches, two of which have been shutouts for the Lions. 

EARNED A POINT ON THE ROAD
The Lions began Southland Conference play at UTRGV, playing to a scoreless tie. The Lions have earned at least one point in every conference opener since joining the Southland, being 2-0-1 in those matches. 

ROUGH STRETCH TO END NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
A&M-Commerce entered conference play coming up short of a win in its last eight matches, the Lions played Grambling to a 2-2 tie and No. 15 Oklahoma State to a 6-0 loss on the road to end non-conference play. Last season, the Lions had two non-conference wins before securing a second place finish in SLC play. A&M-Commerce is picked to finish second again this year. 

TIED THE MEAN GREEN
After falling behind 1-0 in the second half to North Texas, the Lions tallied two quick goals within 40 seconds to take the Mean Green, but came away a 2-2 tie in the match as UNT scored a goal in the final minutes of the match. It was the first tie for the Lions this season. The match against North Texas was the third time this season and second straight that the Lions scored the first goal in the match, falling to 1-1-1 when they score first. 

MITCHELL OFF THE MARK
Mya Mitchell (Dallas - Mesquite Horn) scored to put the Lions ahead 1-0 over New Mexico State, it was Mitchell's first goal of the season and first since 2022 for the SLC Freshman of the Year. 

BIG START TO THE SEASON 
The Lions downed Oral Roberts 4-1 on August 15 to begin the season with a 4-1 record, marking the first time in the Division I era and first time since the spring season of 2021 that the Lions won their season opener. 

BELL KEEPS RINGING 
Hannah Bell (Duncanville) scored the first two goals in the win over Oral Roberts. As a result, the reigning Southland Conference Forward and Freshman of the Year was named the SLC Offensive Player of the Week, her first career weekly honor and the seventh for the Lions in the last two seasons.  

THIRD TIME WAS THE CHARM
The Lions and Golden Eagles began the season against each other for the third straight year. After a 4-0 ORU win in 2022, a 2-2 tie in Commerce in 2023, the Lions finally got over the hump to take their first win in the series. 
 
CHANCE TO REPEAT HISTORY
A&M-Commerce soared to new heights in 2023 and looks to build upon it in 2024. The Lions picked up the first winning season in the Division I era, while finishing second in the Southland, the best finish for any sport since joining the conference.
 
Bell picked up SLC Freshman of the Year and Forward of the Year honors, while Kaydence Ramirez (Waxahachie) was named the conference's Newcomer of the Year. The Lions have brought home the conference freshman of the year award for three straight seasons.
 
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
The Southland Conference released its preseason all-conference teams and A&M-Commerce led the way with seven honorees, the most in the SLC, including five on the first team.
 
Along with Bell and Ramirez, Nya Mitchell (Dallas – Mesquite Horn), Camila Montero (Langham Creek), and Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls – Rider) were named to the first team, while Melissa Storey (Tyne and Wear, England) and Mya Mitchell (Dallas – Mesquite Horn) were named to the second team.
 
Additionally, the Lions were to picked finish second in the SLC for the second straight year, including receiving two first-place votes. Lamar was voted to three-peat as conference champions.
 
EVERYBODY'S BACK!
All but four players from last season's roster return this year, which includes all 11 starters and all but two players that appeared in last season's Southland Conference Tournament. Additionally, 100 percent of goal production and point production returns for the Lions this year, which is tops in the country. 
 
Also returning for the Lions are Mya Mitchell, Ashley Campuzano (Dallas – Atlas Prep), and Alana Lawless-Felarca (Richardson), who missed most of last season due to injury. Campuzano and Mitchell were named to all-Southland teams in 2022.
 
HELLO NEWCOMERS
The Lions welcome four freshmen and three transfers this season. The incoming freshmen are goalkeeper Veronica Pacione (Birdville), forward Elaina Flores (McKinney – Boyd), midfielder Ava Watts (Tulsa, Okla.), and midfielder/forward Emily Bautista (Princeton).
 
While the transfers are midfielder/forward Reneta Vargas (Coppell) from Baylor, midfielder/forward McKenna O'Toole (Lake Travis) from Colorado College, and defender Trinity Egerton (Garland – Rowlett) from Baylor.

Pacione played the second half in goal last week, while both Flores and Watts appeared in the match. 
 
TWICE THE MITCHELLS
Mya and Nya Mitchell are one of 24 sets of twins in NCAA Division I Soccer this year, they are also one of two to both receive all-conference accolades in the Southland Conference.
 
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Missing the Southland Tournament a year ago, UIW has been one of the surprise teams around the SLC with a record of 4-4, having recorded wins over Nicholls, McNeese, Houston, and SFA during conference play as well as marquee non-conference wins over Grand Canyon, UTEP, and Prairie View A&M. The Cardinals are in four-way tie for fourth place in the SLC standings. A&M-Commerce is 1-0-1 against UIW over the last two seasons, but the Cardinals hold an all-time advantage of 4-13-1 in the series. Sierra Wannamaker is the team leader with four goals, while Alex Knutson has three goals and one assist, and Erica Defferding has 73 saves in goal, having started all but one match this season.