#1 Midwestern State (5-0-0) vs. #11 St. Mary's (4-0-1)
Thursday, Sept. 20 | 7 p.m.
Stang Park | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com | Watch: MSU Digital Network
Series History: MSU Texas leads 29-0-0 | Last Meeting: 4-0 win on the road on Sept. 30, 2017
Trend: Mustangs are 15-0 at Stang Park against the Rattlers, outscoring St. Mary's 56-8
Player to Watch: Jr., F, Nenad Markovic – Heartland Conference Player of the Wek
 
#1 Midwestern State (5-0-0) vs. Texas A&M International (2-2-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22 | 1 p.m.
Stang Park | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com | Watch: MSU Digital Network
Series History: MSU Texas leads 15-0-2 | Last Meeting: 2-1 win in the Heartland Conference Championship on Nov. 3, 2017
Trend: Mustangs have won last eight meetings at Stang Park dating back to 2010
Player to Watch: Sr., GK, Carlos Herrera – Preseason All-Conference Goalkeeper
 
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Top-ranked Midwestern State welcomes its first home challenge of the regular season on Thursday when the Mustangs host 11^th-ranked St. Mary's for a 7 p.m. tilt at Stang Park. Following the top-15 clash, the Maroon and Gold tango with Texas A&M International at 1 p.m. on Saturday to conclude a four-match homestand.
 
Storylines
Like the Energizer Bunny
The Mustangs surpassed the previous program record of 26-consecutive matches without a loss by taking down Rogers State last Thursday. Entering this weekend's clash with the Rattlers and Dustdevils, MSU Texas owns a 28-match unbeaten streak, going 25-0-3 in the last 28 contests.
 
The run dates back to a national quarterfinal loss at No. 10 UC-San Diego in 2016 and duplicates a 26-match run that covered the eight consecutive wins to close the 2001 campaign before the 2002 side opened the season going 14-0-4.
 
Home Cookin'
The Maroon and Gold are unbeaten in their last 18 matches at the friendly confines of Stang Park, dating back to 2016. Over that span, MSU Texas owns a 16-0-2 record and has outscored opponents 37-9 at home.
 
Top Target
Midwestern State remained on top of the United Soccer Coaches' Division II Poll for the second straight week. It's the eighth time the Mustangs have been atop the rankings and second time to be No. 1 for consecutive polls, previously done from Oct. 21 – Nov. 4, 2008.
 
Midwestern appeared at the top of the poll for a single week during the 2015 season (Oct. 6) and for three weeks during the 2008 season (Oct. 21-Nov. 4). MSU first took the No. 1 spot back on Sept. 24, 1984 after opening the season 5-0-0 following a 9-2 win over TCU.
 
Ranked Showdowns
Dating back to 2017, the Maroon and Gold are 5-0-0 against teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll. Last season the Mustangs got wins against No. 14/16 St. Mary's, No. 19 Colorado Mesa and No. 8 Colorado School of Mines. MSU Texas downed then-15^th-ranked Fort Hays State, 2-1, in nonconference action.
 
Leme and Ramirez Finding Home
Juniors Juan Ramirez and Gui Leme are tied for the team lead with three goals apiece. Ramirez has found the back of the net in each of the last three contests while Leme scored twice in MSU Texas' 3-1 win over Newman.
 
Back Line
In five matches this season, the back line of the Mustangs has surrendered just 28 shots and nine shots on goal in 450 minutes.
 
Seniors Nathan Clark and Alex Mullet, juniors Dylan Burke, Rory O'Keeffe and Koby Sapon-Amoah along with sophomore keeper Taylor Lampe are holding opponents to a 0.60 GAA.
 
Sapon-Amoah and Mullet are the lone defenders to have started all five games for the Mustangs this season.
 
Lampe Saves the Day
Sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Lampe moved into a tie with Brian Blair (2000) with his 15^th career victory. He matches Sean Gill (2004-06) and Michael Wood (2010-11) for seventh-most in school history with his next win.
 
His career 0.45 goals against average ranks as the best in program history among keepers with at least 1000 minutes played and is 0.14 better than Shawn Carr's (2007-08) second-best 0.59 GAA.
 
Business in the Front, Party in the Back
Senior defender Alex Mullet has seen a lot of soccer in his four year tenure with the Maroon and Gold. The Edmond, Okla., native has made 70-starts in his career, the seventh-most in program history and is 12 away from matching Judd Joy's (1991-94) all-time record of 82.
 
Most impressively though, in Mullet's four-years anchoring the back line, the Mustangs are an astonishing 60-5-5 and have outscored the opposition 183 to 47.
 
Up Next
MSU Texas starts its first conference road swing on Thursday, Sept. 27 at UT Permian Basin.