COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University soccer team enters the second half of Southland Conference play with first place in their grasps as they take on SFA and Northwestern State this week.
LIONS' WEEKEND SCHEDULE
SENIOR DAY
Prior to Sunday's match against the Lady Demons, the Lions will honor their eight seniors:
Ashley Campuzano (Dallas - Atlas Prep),
Nia Chacon (Rowlett - Sachse),
Trinity Egerton (Garland - Rowlett),
Payton Joost (Wylie),
Gillian McKenzie (Mesquite Horn),
Mya Mitchell (Dallas - Mesquite Horn),
Nya Mitchell (Dallas - Mesquite Horn), and
Reneta Vargas (Coppell).
FULL DIVISION I MEMBERS
East Texas A&M University received approval from the NCAA in June 2025 for its expedited transition process to become full NCAA Division I members and become immediately eligible for NCAA sponsored postseason events. The Lion soccer team has played in the Southland Championship match twice in the last three seasons.
TWO SECOND HALF GOALS LAND THE FIRST SLC WIN
The Lions scored twice in the second half last Thursday to pick up a 2-0 win over Nicholls at home, which was the first conference win of the season for East Texas A&M.
Kristen Sueltz (The Colony) scored the match-winner and totaled two goals last week, including the equalizer in the 1-1 tie at A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday.
THE UNBEATEN LIONS
East Texas A&M is one of just two teams in the Southland that is yet to lose a conference match this season as the Lions are 1-0-4, with SFA being in first place with a record of 2-0-3. The string of four ties in five matches has been historic for the Lions, who have now set a new program record for most ties (four) in a season.
LAWLESS-FELARCA EARNS SLC WEEKLY HONOR
Following a two-goal performance at Lamar, Lawless-Felarca was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week on September 23. She is the second Lion to earn an Southland weekly honor this season.
TWICE THE FUN
Sisters
Mya Mitchell and
Nya Mitchell (Dallas - Mesquite Horn) are entering their fourth season in the Blue & Gold. They are among 35 sets of sisters in NCAA Division I.
PACIONE NAMED SLC KEEPER OF THE WEEK
Veronica Pacione (Birdville) recorded 12 saves in 135 minutes of play in two weeks against Grambling and Abilene Christian, including career-best nine saves in the 1-0 shutout win over the Wildcats. As a result, she was named the Southland Goalkeeper of the Week, the first career weekly honor for the sophomore net minder.
MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
East Texas A&M played in the Southland Tournament for the third straight year last year and made the championship match for the second time in three years.The Lions are the only team in the conference to be a top three seed in each of the last three conference tournaments.
PROTECTING HOME FIELD
The Lions started 3-0 at home this season, which was its best start at home since 2017. With three home matches left, East Texas A&M is 4-2-1 at the Lion Soccer Field.
A FIRST IN THE DIVISION I ERA
East Texas A&M won three regular season non-conference matches this season, which is the most in the four seasons of Division I soccer. The Lions have not won four regular season non-conference matches in a season since 2015.
1-0 FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
The Lions picked up a 4-1 win over Little Rock to win their season opener for the second straight year. It is the first time since the 2014 and 2015 seasons that the Lions won their season opener in back-to-back seasons.
MITCHELL CONTINUES TO MAKE STATEMENT TO START 2025
After being held to just one goal in 22 matches over the last two seasons,
Mya Mitchell (Dallas - Mesquite Horn) scored twice in the win over Little Rock and then scoring in both wins at home against Grambling and Abilene Christian. The 2022 Southland Freshman of the Year has five goals on the season and the Lions are 3-1 in matches that she scores in.
FOUR SCORE ONCE AGAIN
In the win over Little Rock, the Lions scored four goals, which is the second straight season opener that they tallied four. The four goals are also tied for the most in a match in the Division I era.
WE KNOW EACH OTHER
The starting 11 against Little Rock featured nine players that were on the team last season. The two newcomers to start the match were
Alyssa Cox (Plano Senior), a transfer from Louisiana, and
Payton Joost (Wylie), a transfer from Lamar.
HELLO NEWCOMERS
Along with Cox and Joost, newcomers
Malaya Ring (
Malaya Ring), a transfer from Gardner-Webb, also appeared in the match against the Trojans, while freshmen
Grace Robertson (Fulshear - Jordan) and
Kelsey Lefever (Princeton) came off the bench to make their Lion debuts.
Newcomers
Makayla Gonzalez (South Grand Prairie),
Kaylee Humble (Harker Heights),
Brooke Shields (Wylie East), and Judtih Nandwa (Mumias, Kenya) did not appear in the match against Little Rock, but Gonzalez and Humble made their Lion debuts last weekend.
RAMIREZ MAKES HISTORY, NAMED SLC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kaydence Ramirez (Waxahachie) was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year and Forward of the Year in 2024, becoming just the second player in program history and first since Vicky Back in 2016 to earn conference player of the year honors. She led the conference in goals.
FOUR NAMED TO ALL-SLC TEAMS
Along with Ramirez, who was named first team all-conference, the Lions had three players on second team all-conference in
Hannah Bell (Duncanville),
Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls - Rider), and
Melissa Storey (Tyne and Wear, England).
THIRD TIME WAS THE CHARM
The Lions and Oral Roberts began the season against each other for three years. 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 last season. The Golden Eagles returned serve with a 3-0 win on August 23 as both teams are undefeated on their home fields over the last four seasons.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
SFA, the defending SLC Champion, is 4-2-8 on the season and the leader in the conference with a record of 2-0-3. The Lumberjacks picked up a 2-0 win in the SLC Tournament Championship match last season over the Lions, who won in Commerce during the regular season with a score of 2-1. SFA recorded notable non-conference wins over UTEP and Louisiana Tech, while winning over McNeese and UTRGV in conference play thus far. Both Brielle Buchanan and Alexis Miller has 10 points each on the season, both having three goals and four assists each. In goal, Sierra McCluer has 59 saves and just 12 goals allowed in 13 matches.
The Lions host Northwestern State on Sunday to enter a stretch of playing three of their final four matches of the season at home. NSU is 7-3-3 on the season and 2-1-1 in conference win. The Lady Demons took down Texas on the road to begin the season, while also having recorded wins over UTRGV and Southeastern in conference play. The Lady Demons host A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday night. The Lions are 4-2 against the Lady Demons in a series dating back to 1996, having won three in a row, including a 2-1 win in Natchitoches last season. Emily Sanatore has scored SLC-leading 10 goals and added an assist for 21 points, while Kennedy Rist has 39 saves in 11 matches started.
-ETAMU-
