SAN ANGELO – The No. 7 Angelo State women's soccer team begins its Lone Star Conference schedule with two road matches against Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman's on Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. and Sunday Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.
ASU enters conference play in the midst of its second best start in program history with a 6-0-1 record. The best start in program history was in 2014 when they started the season 10-0-1. The Belles also completed non-conference play with the best record of any LSC team.
Several players have stuck out in the early going with Sierra Anderson, Demi Tsambasis and Haley Mendel anchoring a front line that has scored 20 goals through seven matches. Anderson, Tsambasis and Mendel have each scored four goals and have combined for seven assists. The trio is tied for second in the conference in goals scored. The Belles are tied for seventh in the nation in most goals scored. Nine different Belles have found the net thus far.
Defensively, a host of Belles have contributed to the team's early success. Ashley Exford, captain and preseason LSC Defensive Player of the Year leads the team in minutes played with 574 and has been a catalyst in denying scoring opportunities for opponents as they held UTPB to two shots.
As a team, the Belles have outscored opponents 21-5. Goalkeepers Shantel Wittke and Natalie Nielsen also have been essential to the Belles defense; allowing five goals in 660 minutes of play and combining for 27 saves.
TAMUC and ASU met four times last year, splitting the regular season series as each team won a match on the other's field. The teams met again in the LSC conference tournament and the NCAA DII South Central Regional Tournament as Commerce beat the Belles in both matches. Commerce beat ASU 3-2 in the LSC tournament, but the Belles would receive an at-large bid to the regional tournament and beat Metro State before falling to Commerce 1-0 in the second round.
"They are one of those teams that are different from everyone else in how they play, so because of that it makes them unique and presents its challenges," Head Coach Travis McCorkle said.
Commerce is off to a 4-2 start and led by Vicky Back who has netted six goals and two assists and Jade Bell, who has scored three goals and five assists. Commerce is second in the LSC in shots (90) and goals (17). Defensively, the Lions have allowed three goals, tops in the LSC. Goalkeeper Courtnie Northern anchors the Lions defense as she's notched 25 saves in 506 minutes played, as well as two shutouts.
"Their objective is to play very direct and they want to slow the pace of the game," McCorkle said.
ASU's second conference opponent, TWU, has been very tough defensively, allowing the second least goals in the conference (4). Natalia Diaz leads TWU in goals and assists. Last year, the Belles split with TWU, each winning a game at home. TWU finished last season 9-8-1.
"TWU is a good team, I watched them play against DBU online and they've added some more talent to their team from what they had last year," McCorkle said. "We know that No. 7 [Natalia] Diaz is very dangerous on the ball dribbling. We have to be very careful about how we challenge her."
