COMMERCE – After playing three consecutive matches on the road, the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team is back in Commerce for three straight matches, hosting Stephen F. Austin on Friday, Southeastern on Sunday, and A&M-Corpus Christi next week.
LIONS' WEEKEND SCHEDULE
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION
Friday's match against the Ladyjacks is the annual Hispanic Heritage Month match for the Lions. Free t-shirts and snacks are available for all A&M-Commerce students in attendance as well as other contests throughout the match.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to Sunday's match against Southeastern, the Lions will honor their eight seniors:
Valerie Flores (Irving - MacArthur),
Hailey Griffin (Byron Nelson),
Addy Higgins (Ursuline Academy),
Camila Montero (Langham Creek),
Savannah Powell (Arlington - Martin),
Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls - Rider),
Melissa Storey (Tyne and Wear, England), and
Marina Vera (Elko, Nev.).
EARNED A POINT ON THE ROAD
Last week, 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 COMPETITION
SFA is coming off a 3-0 win over preseason favorite Lamar in the SLC opener last weekend. The Ladyjacks started the season 0-1-2, but have won four in a row entering the contest at the Lion Soccer Field on Friday night. The winning streak has come against A&M-San Antonio, Oral Roberts, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Lamar. The Ladyjacks have outscored their opponents, 27-4, with Reaganne Crane scoring six of the team's goals and adding three assists as well. Brielle Buchanan has four goals, while Maddie Bowers has three goals and five assists. Lydia Sattler has 22 saves on the season, allowing 0.67 goals allowed per match.
Friday marks the first regular season contest for the Lions and the Ladyjacks since 1998. A&M-Commerce is 2-1 all-time in the series and this is the first documented meeting in Commerce in the series.
A battle of the Lions closes out the weekend on Sunday afternoon as Southeastern visits Commerce for the first time since 2022. Last season, A&M-Commerce took home a 2-0 win in Hammond as both Bell and Ramirez scored in the match. Since joining the Southland, A&M-Commerce has not allowed a goal to Southeastern, who is 2-4-1 on the season. The Lady Lions shut out McNeese for a 1-0 win at home last week to begin SLC play.
This season, both Hannah McCord and Kelsey Fuller have scored two goals each, while Anna Blankenship and Kendall Curran have split time in goal. Curran has 16 saves in seven matches and Blankenship has 12 saves in six.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE LIONS
The Lions host A&M-Corpus Christi next Friday, before heading on the road for two matches in a row.
-TAMUC-
