SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State women's soccer team opens the 2015 season with five straight road matches beginning at Adams State on Friday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. in Alamosa, Colo. and will close out the first weekend in Las Vegas, N.M. against New Mexico Highlands at 12 p.m. on Sunday.

The Belles soccer team is coming off a season in which they won 16 games, the best mark in program history. They return 18 players from last year's team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament after topping Metro State in the first round, 2-0.

ASU head coach Travis McCorkle returns for his eighth season. McCorkle brought in a recruiting class in which he believes is loaded with speed, size, technique, and intelligent players which will be a nice complement to a group of returners who were a part of a historic 2014 campaign. One freshman to keep an eye on is Analise Watson, who McCorkle says is quiet, but has impressed in fall camp. McCorkle is also the two-time reigning LSC Coach of the Year.

The Belles added nine newcomers in Watson, Payton Shlemon, Megan Allen, Hannah Wanzer, Sabrina Blanco, Kendall Ponce, Jaclyn Wittke, Danielle Black and Demi Tsambasis (transfer) to a team that reached the Lone Star Conference tournament finals and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament in 2014, before falling in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

Returning for the Belles is senior forward Sierra Anderson, who racked up several honors last season, including being named Daktronics All-America Honorable mention. Anderson was also named to the All-South Central region first team and took home LSC Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Each year at ASU Anderson has become a larger force and put up career numbers in 2014 with 15 goals, six of which proved to be game-winners. Anderson led the LSC in goals last season and enters her senior season with 24 career goals.  She also enters her senior year as one of the top players in ASU history from a statistical standpoint; ranking in the top five of almost every category that is recorded. She leads in career points (53), career goals (24), shots attempted (168) and game-winning goals (13).

ASU returns another top scorer in Haley Mendel.  She netted 7 goals and 6 assists, both ranked top-10 in the LSC. She was named first team All-LSC for her efforts.

Selena Alvarez returns for her senior campaign and has the record for most games played (60) in school history. The Austin, TX native was also a Lone Star Conference All-Academic selection in 2014.

Defensively, the Belles come off a season in which they recorded 13 shutouts, spearheaded by Ashley Exford, who was also named to the All-South Central region first team, in addition to being named the LSC co-Defensive Player of the Year. Shantel Wittke was also an integral part of a team that was lights out on defense, she was named LSC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year and first team All-LSC. She returns in the net for her senior season, and is joined by her younger sister, Jaclyn, who plays defense.

Other returners include Lauren Eshelman, Natalie Nielsen, Tiffany Dang, Loni Byers, Callie Smith, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Shay Williams, Morgan Sibson, Molly Warren, Lauren Perry, Kathleen Keoughan, Jenny Kotowych and Cynthia Andrews.
Adams State finished last season 5-10-3 and lost 4-2 in an early season meeting with the Belles in 2014. New Mexico Highlands went 11-5-4 last season including a 4-0 loss to the Belles.