Are you looking for things to do while you procrastinate on that homework you have? If you have school spirit and enjoy sports, then the new soccer season is perfect for you.
The Texas A&M University – Texarkana soccer program has brought in new players and lost many key players. Since the program started in 2014 for the women’s team and 2016 for the men’s, both teams have had one goal, to compete in the conference tournament. Our first home game was on September 8th against Southwestern Christian University, and the most recent was at Eagle Field against Huston-Tilliston University this week on October 4th. This Saturday October 6th, come see a double-header against Our Lady of the Lake University on Senior Day at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
With last year’s women’s soccer season coming to an end in a heartbreaking fashion, losing one to zero to rivals St. Thomas in the conference final, the women have a lot of new faces after graduating eleven players. They hope to start where they left off last season and get back into the conference tournament. They have seen the value of the graduating class after losing against Wayland Baptist and Bethel University. The team lost lots of key players, such as Lily Cardozo and Neeley Keller in the midfield. On the defensive line, the team lost Hanna Williams, Hazel Espinoza, and Ashley Bainton. On the offensive side, the team took its biggest blow, losing leading scorer Sam Sharpnack-Isom.
Juliana Summerlin goes in for a tackle against Jarvis Christian College. Photo credits to Amanda Johnson Vaughan
The women’s team has bought in new players from California such as Lesly Macias, Taylor Hale, Jacky Padilla, Sabrina Murillo, and Brittany Small. The rest of the transfers and freshmen are from Texas. These players were recruited by Coaches Don Koontz and Fallon Keller, with some help from the graduating class. The new incoming players are seen as some of the best recruits as incoming freshman and junior transfers. Although the team has already began competing against other teams and have faced defeat, they plan on progressing throughout their season.
On the men’s side, after last season, the men lost four from their graduating class and lost many players from the Class of 2021. Last season the class of 2021 bought in twenty new players and lost more than half of those players, but for the 2017-2018 season Coach Don Koontz bought in twenty-four new players, including freshman and junior transfers. The new incoming players came from all over Texas such as Frisco, Plano, Rockwall, Austin, Houston and Dallas. With the incoming players, Koontz raised his expectations and says so far that the men have met or surpassed them.
Dalton Hinton dribbles pass a Texas College defender Photo credits to Amanda Johnson Vaughan
As the men head towards the later half of their season, they hope to pick up where they left off last year and go further to hopefully advance and make it to the conference tournament for the first time in men’s soccer history. The men hope to pick up a few early wins at home, before they start traveling more, later in the season.