Match 16 – Midwestern State (8-4-3, 3-3-2 LSC) vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (9-5-2, 5-1-2 LSC)
Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 | 8 p.m.
MSU Soccer Field | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
Live Video: MSUMustangs.tv
 
Match 17 – Midwestern State (8-4-3, 3-3-2 LSC) vs. Texas Woman's (9-5-2, 4-3-1 LSC)
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015 | 1 p.m.
MSU Soccer Field | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com
Live Video: MSUMustangs.tv
 
 
FOR STARTERS
Midwestern State will look to move up the Lone Star Conference standings at home this weekend with its final two regular season contests against Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman's.
 
The Mustangs will face A&M-C in an 8 p.m. kickoff Friday before hosting TWU Sunday at 1 p.m. for Senior Day.
 
The Mustangs enter the weekend sitting in fourth place in the LSC behind second place A&M-C and third place TWU. Midwestern also looks to record two wins over regionally-ranked teams to climb the South Central Region poll after the Mustangs slipped two spots to No. 7 this week.
 
Midwestern went 1-1-0 on the road last weekend with a 4-0 setback to then-No. 4 Angelo State before tallying a 2-1 win over St. Mary's (Texas). Against the Rattlers, junior forward Aly Wade recorded two assists off corner kicks, helping the Mustangs erase a 1-0 second half deficit. Senior midfielder Morgan Hannon evened the match at 1-1 before senior defender Callie Briseno put the Mustangs in front with a header goal in the 77th minute.
 
SENIOR DAY
– Prior to Sunday's kickoff, the women's soccer program will honor seven seniors who will play their final contest at MSU Soccer Field in Stephanie Bonilla, Callie Briseno, Kayla Cheesman, Ashley Cottrell, Carina Dunnahoo, Alex Edwards and Morgan Hannon
 
MUSTANGS DROP TO SEVENTH IN SOUTH CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS
– Following their 1-1-0 weekend, the Mustangs dropped two spots to No. 7 in the second set of South Central Region rankings released Wednesday
– Angelo State topped the region poll and was followed by Fort Lewis (Colo.), Dallas Baptist (Texas), St. Edward's (Texas), Colorado Mines, Texas A&M-Commerce, Midwestern State, Regis (Colo.), Texas Woman's and Colorado-Colorado Springs
– The top six teams from the South Central Region will qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which is set to begin Friday, Nov. 13
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
– Texas A&M-Commerce comes into the weekend with a 9-5-2 record and a 5-1-2 slate in the LSC
– Junior forward Vicky Back leads the Lions offense with 12 goals and 28 points to rank in the top 30 nationally
– Junior forward Savannah Grasser has recorded eight goals for A&M-C this season while senior forward Jade Bell has a team-best eight assists for top 30 in the country
– Senior goalkeeper Courtnie Northern has started all 16 matches in goal for the Lions with a .859 save percentage for 25th nationally and a .747 goals against average for 40th
– Head coach Neil Piper is in his 18th season leading the Lions, holding a career record of 207-116-32
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State is 18-11-5 in the series against Texas A&M-Commerce
– The two teams battled to a scoreless draw earlier this season on Sept. 27 in Commerce
– A&M-C went 2-1 versus the Mustangs last season with a 2-1 overtime win in Wichita Falls and a 2-1 victory at the LSC Championships in Commerce

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
– Texas Woman's is 9-5-2 on the year with a 4-3-1 record in the LSC
– TWU comes in having won four of its last five matches
– Senior forward Natalia Diaz leads the Pioneers with team highs of six goals, eight assists and 20 points, ranking 12th in the country in assists
– Senior goalkeeper Ariana Morrison holds a 1.07 goals against average and a .823 save percentage for the Pioneers this season
– Head coach Babak Abouzar is in his third season at Texas Woman's, carrying a 23-24-5 record with the Pioneers
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
– Midwestern State is 11-4-3 all-time against Texas Woman's
– TWU earned a 2-1 victory over the Mustangs in the LSC opener on Sept. 25 in Denton
– The Mustangs are 7-2-1 against the Pioneers at MSU Soccer Field
– Midwestern went 0-1-1 versus the Pioneers in 2014, earning a 1-1 draw in Wichita Falls before dropping a 1-0 decision in Denton
 
MUSTANGS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
– After ranking 59th with a .842 goals against average in 2014, the Mustangs defense has picked up right where they left off last season
– The Mustangs are 51st nationally with a .467 shutout percentage and 64th with a .888 goals against average after allowing 14 goals in 15 matches
– The goalkeeping duo of sophomore Courtney Burnette and redshirt freshman Brooke Bottensek have combined for a .821 save percentage for 69th in the country
 
MUSTANGS RACK UP SEVENTH SHUTOUT 
– It's no secret the Mustangs defense has been one of the strongest in the LSC and in the nation the past couple of seasons
– Following a 1-0 win over Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State recorded its seventh shutout of the season
– The Mustangs have already surpassed their shutout total from the 2014 season when they posted six clean sheets
– In 2009, the Mustangs broke a 13-year school record with 11 shutouts on the season
 
BURNETTE COLLECTING HONORS
– After being named the Lone Star Conference Goalkeeper of the Year a season ago, Burnette continues to rack up the awards in her sophomore campaign
– The Irving native was selected as the LSC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and was tabbed the LSC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 16 after helping the Mountaineers to a 1-0-1 week that included a 1-0 shutout of No. 13 UC-Colorado Springs
– Burnette currently ranks 66th in the nation with a .900 goals against average and 79th with a .816 save percentage
 
MSU USING BALANCED OFFENSIVE ATTACK
– Sophomore forward Destinee Williamson has a team-best six goals and 12 points this season to lead the Mustangs offense
– However, Midwestern State has received contributions from several players on the offensive side of the ball with eight different goal scorers and 16 that have tallied points this season
– Senior midfielder Morgan Hannon and junior forward Aly Wade have joined Williamson in leading the Mustangs offense with Hannon adding four goals and Wade recording three along with a team-high four assists

MIDWESTERN KNOCKS OFF NO. 13 MOUNTAIN LIONS
– In their first road match of the 2015 season, the Mustangs shutout No. 13 UC-Colorado Springs, 1-0
– Senior midfielder Morgan Hannon delivered the game winner for Midwestern, converting a penalty kick in the 63rd minute
– The win over UCCS was the first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since the 2013 season when the Mustangs took down No. 24 Texas A&M-Commerce on the road
 
CLARKE BEGINS YEAR NO. 2
– In his first season at Midwestern, head coach Damian Clarke led the Mustangs to an 8-6-5 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the Lone Star Conference with a 3-5-2 mark
– In seven seasons at Fort Lewis (Colo.), Clarke compiled a 106-31-17 record with five NCAA Tournament appearances
– Now in his ninth season as a head coach, Clarke holds a career mark of 122-41-25 with a winning percentage of .715 that ranks 12th in NCAA Division II
 
MUSTANGS PICKED THIRD IN LSC
– Midwestern totaled 48 points for third in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll behind preseason favorite Angelo State (82) and Texas A&M-Commerce (80)
– The Mustangs return eight starters off last year's squad including 2014 All-LSC selections Morgan Hannon, Alex Edwards, Liz Navarette, Courtney Burnette and Destinee Williamson
 
LOOKING AHEAD
– Midwestern State will next compete in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, Nov. 5-8, at the site of the LSC regular season champion