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This Week with the Mustangs (Sept. 26, 2023)

General Pete Stein / MSU Athletic Communications

This Week with the Mustangs

MEN'S SOCCER

Mere Escobar continues to light up the scoreboard for Midwestern State. The prolific forward scored his 10th goal of the season in a 1-0 victory over West Texas A&M at Stang Park on Saturday. The Austin native has scored goals in each of MSU's eight matches this season and in 11 of 12 matches dating back to the 2022 campaign.

Escobar has scored the most goals in NCAA Division II this season, and he leads the country with four game-winning goals. The senior from Austin, Texas, also has three assists and leads the nation with 23 points this season.

Escobar is now tied with Richard Canales, Peter Koplyay and Jake Joy for ninth-most goals in MSU history with 37. Alvin Alexander (1975-78) and Kris Henderson (1987-90) hold the school record with 58 goals.

With his next goal, Escobar will move into a tie for seventh with Judd Joy (1991-93) and Daniel Brown (2003-07).

The Mustangs remain unbeaten with a 7-0-1 record heading into their final non-conference match of the campaign.

Goalkeeper Adam Braman is leading the conference and is fifth in the nation with four shutouts. The junior from Mercer Island, Washington, is second in the LSC and 21st in the nation with a .507 goals against average.

The No. 4-ranked Mustangs are on the road at Oklahoma Christian on Wednesday night. Kickoff at Eagle Soccer Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Eagles are 1-3-4 and winless in their last seven matches after defeating William Jewell in the season opener, 3-0. Oklahoma Christian is 1-2-1 at home this season.

Ellis Jones has four goals and Elliott Forestier has four assists for the Eagles, who are ninth in the conference with eight goals in eight matches. Oklahoma Christian has a minus-3 goal differential.

Oklahoma Christian goalkeeper Fynn Koerner is sixth in the LSC with a 1.45 goals against average and is 10th in the league with 13 total saves and 1.63 saves per game.

Midwestern State is 5-0-0 away from home this season and has won five consecutive matches since its 2-2 draw with Rogers State on Sept. 7.

The last time MSU faced Oklahoma Christian was in the final of the LSC Tournament last season. Gavin Scott and Escobar scored in the second half at Sigma Beta Chi Field in San Antonio to secure the fifth LSC postseason championship for Midwestern State with a 2-0 victory over the Eagles.

Braman made three saves and shut out the Eagles for the second time last season.

The Mustangs won their first meeting with Oklahoma Christian, 2-0, at Stang Park. Escobar scored twice in a span of 29 seconds in the second half. Koerner denied Escobar a hat trick by making a sprawling save in the 77th minute.

In the regular season clash that counted in the conference standings, Isaias Silva scored the game-winning goal in the 54th minute as the Eagles prevailed at home, 2-1. Max Gonzalez, assisted by Rory Doyle, scored in the 30th minute for MSU. Joep Claassen gave the Eagles the lead by converting from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute.

MSU's Darryl Walsh was shown a red card after taking down Silva, setting up the penalty kick and leaving the Mustangs with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

The Eagles celebrated their second win in the all-time series, and the Mustangs suffered their second loss in their last three visits to Eagle Soccer Field in Oklahoma City.

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma Christian, 20-2-1, and is 7-2-0 as the visiting team in the series.
 

Wednesday, September 27

Time Match Digital Media
7 pm #4 Midwestern State at Oklahoma Christian Watch | Live Stats
 

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Midwestern State saw a four-game winning streak come to an end in the waning moments of their match at Angelo State on Saturday afternoon. Brianna Rodriguez scored her second goal of the season in the 90th minute, and the Rambelles defeated the Mustangs, 1-0.

MSU opened the conference campaign last Wednesday with a 1-0 victory over previously unbeaten Texas Woman's at Stang Park.

The 4-2-2 Mustangs return home on Wednesday to face Eastern New Mexico at 7 p.m. Midwestern State is seeking its third consecutive win in the series.

The Mustangs have won each of the last two meetings, 3-0, including a triumph in the conference opener at Greyhound Stadium last season.

Cassidy Savoy registered her third collegiate brace in the win last year. Savoy scored twice in the second half after Brynn Covington gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead late in the first half.

Lexi Jackson made one save for her second of five clean sheets last season. The junior from Lubbock, Texas, has already shut out three opponents this season. Jackson is fourth in the conference with a .875 goals against average and has a .720 save percentage through eight matches.

Lexi Beck is tied for the league lead with five goals. The junior midfielder had scored in four consecutive matches until the Rambelles shut out the Mustangs on Saturday. Beck is fifth in the LSC with 11 points in eight matches, and she has scored twice at home this season.

Lillia Besedin, Isabella Cruz, Averi Culver and Lyndi Maxson have also scored goals for the Mustangs.

Midwestern State leads the all-time series, 17-9-3, but was 0-2-1 against the Greyhounds in 2017, when head coach Ryan Spence was leading Eastern New Mexico.

The Mustangs were 0-5-1 in the series before a 3-0 victory at Stang Park in September of 2021. Beck scored the first goal in the 51st minute and assisted Marissa Resendez in the 63rd minute. Hayden Zuniga capped the scoring with a strike from the penalty spot in the 78th minute.

Beck has a goal and two assists in two appearances against the Greyhounds, including an assist on Savoy's first goal last season.

Eastern New Mexico is 1-3-4 this season, and the Greyhounds are winless in their last five matches, including a 1-1 draw at UT Tyler on Saturday afternoon.

Senior midfielder Nina Ballesteros scored her second goal of the season in the fifth minute at Citizens First Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex in Tyler. The Patriots pulled even in the 51st minute with a goal from Brooke Mullins.

Seniors Sydney Saxon and Emma Hafenbrak have also scored twice for ENMU this season. Senior Haley Huff has a goal and two assists.

Ballesteros and Saxon each have five points to lead the Greyhounds. Saxon has only appeared in five of the eight matches and has played 110 minutes. Ballesteros has started all eight matches and has been on the pitch for 589 minutes.

Senior goalkeeper Samantha Jeffries made four saves in a 0-0 draw with Adams State to open the season but has not managed a clean sheet over the last seven matches. Jeffries has a 1.53 goals against average and .727 save percentage. She has allowed 12 goals and made 32 saves. She has seen opponents unfurl 61 shots in the last three matches and 104 over the entire season.

Midwestern State travels to San Antonio on Saturday to meet St. Mary's.

The Mustangs lead the all-time series, 7-6-2, and are 4-3-0 when facing the Rattlers in San Antonio. MSU has won six of the last 10 meetings but suffered a 4-3 loss at Stang Park last September.

Shelby Paniagua, Tori Permillion, Juni Ejere and Megan Copeland scored for St. Mary's in a topsy-turvy match that saw Olivia Okoye pull the Mustangs even on two occasions. Brynn Covington scored in the 86th minute for MSU, which was outshot, 15-14. Jackson made three saves for the Mustangs, and goalkeeper Rebecca Difronzo had three saves for the Rattlers.

Midwestern State won its last visit to Sigma Beta Chi Field, when Savoy assisted Randi Heaton in overtime, and the Mustangs prevailed, 1-0.

St. Mary's is 2-1-2 at home this season and opened conference play with a 3-1 victory over UT Tyler at Sigma Beta Chi Field.

Paniagua entered the week with four goals and five assists and was second in the conference with 13 points. Ejere began the week with three goals and an assist and was tied for 10th in the LSC with seven points.

Difronzo is sixth in the conference with a 1.00 goals against average through the first eight matches and has a .714 goals against average with 20 saves in that span.

Following the match at St. Mary's, MSU will be idle until St. Edward's visits Stang Park on Oct. 7 for a noon kickoff.

Wednesday, September 27

Time Match Digital Media
7 pm Midwestern State vs. Eastern New Mexico Watch | Live Stats | Digital Program

Saturday, September 30

Time Match Digital Media
2 pm Midwestern State at St. Mary's Watch | Live Stats
 
 

MEN'S TENNIS

Midwestern State competes in the ITA South Central Regional which runs Thursday through Saturday at Penny Gullo Tennis Center and Coronado High School in Lubbock.

Five Mustangs earn seeds in the field of 64, including No. 3 Luis Diaz, No. 6 Charles Heffernan, No. 11 Marcal Miret, No. 12 Germano Setti, and No. 13 Killian Guillou.

Philip Kamara, Stephen Slocombe, Juan Duque, and newcomer Justin Van Amerongen are also set to compete in the singles draw.

Midwestern State's Slocombe and Diaz are set as the No. 2 seeded doubles team in the field of 32, while Setti and Guillou carry the No. 7 seed.

The Mustangs have also entered two more doubles tandems, including Kamara and Van Amerongen as well as Duque and Miret.

The winners advance to compete in the ITA Cup set for Oct. 12-15 in Rome, Georgia, with a handful of at-large selections.

Thursday, September 28 - Saturday, September 30

Time Match Digital Media
All Day ITA South Central Regional Live Draw
 

VOLLEYBALL

Midwestern State (3-11, 0-2) opened conference play on the road at St. Edward's and St. Mary's last weekend and returns home for its first match at D.L. Ligon Coliseum in 27 days. UT Permian Basin visits the Mustangs on Friday night. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. Angelo State travels to Midwestern State for a match on Saturday at 2 p.m.

St. Edward's won a pivotal second set, 25-23, and went on to sweep the Mustangs in Austin last week. Lauryn Bourne had 10 kills on 25 attacks and finished with a .320 hitting percentage against the Hilltoppers. The senior from Cypress, Texas, also had 12 digs for MSU.

Midwestern State dropped two tightly contested sets at St. Mary's before winning the third set, 25-19, but the Rattlers were able to close out the match with a 25-19 victory in the fourth set.

Koryn Johnson enjoyed a coming out party with 15 kills on 45 attacks and hit .156 against the Rattlers. The freshman from Rosenberg, Texas, also had 13 digs for the Mustangs. Bourne had her third double-double of the season with 10 kills and 19 digs at Bill Greehey Arena.

Alayna Guerrero had 35 of the 42 assists, and she also had 19 digs for the Mustangs, who had 89 digs as a team. Taygon Jones, who leads MSU and is seventh in the LSC with 4.71 digs per set, finished with 18 and Johnson had 13 for Midwestern State.

UT Permian Basin arrives at D.L. Ligon Coliseum with a 9-3 overall record but has lost its last two matches in straight sets. The Falcons fell to TWU in the LSC Crossover event at Lubbock, 3-0, and dropped its conference opener to visiting Angelo State last week, 3-0.

UTPB is playing as a true road team for just the third time this season. The Falcons are 4-0 in five-set matches this season, including a 3-2 win at Lubbock Christian in the LSC Crossover event. UTPB lost its only other true road match in a non-conference clash at Angelo State, 3-0.

Gloria Guerin leads the Falcons with 3.15 points per set. The 5-10 senior outside hitter, is hitting .254 with 97 kills over 36 sets (2.36 K/S). Guerin has also been in on 24 blocks. April Egwu leads UTPB with 38 blocks, including seven solo blocks. Egwu, who has appeared in 31 sets, leads the conference with 1.23 blocks per set. The 6-0 junior from Little Elm, Texas, had a season-high three solo blocks in the loss to Angelo State last week.

Chyra Thompson, a 5-10 junior middle hitter from Killeen, Texas, is fourth in the conference with a .381 hitting percentage through 34 sets, and she is tied for fourth in the league with 1.15 blocks per set (39 total blocks).

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with UTPB, 12-9, but the Falcons have won the last five meetings without dropping a set. UTPB is 3-3 all-time at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Angelo State entered the week with a four-match winning streak and a 2-0 record in the LSC. The Rambelles won 12 of their first 14 matches this season and boast a 3-1 road record.

Angelo State leads the all-time series, 40-11, and has won its last 26 meetings with the Mustangs, who nearly ended that streak last season at Junell Center, but the Rambelles pulled out a narrow 3-2 victory (25-21, 17-25, 17-25, 25-22, 16-18).

In the fifth set, MSU took a 14-12 lead after an Aaliyah Burras kill to earn its first of three match points. Grace White and Kaila Garnett recorded kills for ASU to draw even, 14-14. A block by Alex Serna and Kelli Ell gave the Mustangs a third match point at 16-15.

It initially appeared as though MSU had won the match at 17-15 when the official indicated that Midwestern State had won a rally. However, replay confirmed a touch by MSU, and Garnett's seventh kill of the match extended the set for Angelo State.

The Rambelles are 15-7 all-time at D.L. Ligon Coliseum and have won their last 10 visits.

Entering the week, Angelo State led the conference with a .261 hitting percentage and 14.47 kills per set. The Rambelles are third in the league with 1.86 aces per set.

Hannah Kinnison, a 5-11 senior outside hitter, is third in the LSC with 3.80 kills per set, and she is fifth in the conference with 4.01 points per set for Angelo State.

Laney Dale leads the Rambelles and is fifth in the league with 7.12 assists per set. Dale is a 5-8 senior setter and is in her second season with Angelo State after transferring from Alabama-Birmingham.

The Mustangs are beginning a four-game homestand and are 7-6 "under the dome" with second-year head coach Stephanie Radecki at the helm.

Friday, September 29

Time Match Digital Media
6 pm Midwestern State vs. UT Permian Basin Watch | Live Stats | Digital Program

Saturday, September 30

Time Match Digital Media
2 pm Midwestern State vs. Angelo State Watch | Live Stats | Digital Program
 
 

MEN'S GOLF

Midwestern State is set for the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational Monday and Tuesday at the Amarillo Country Club.

The Mustangs are coming off of a ninth-place showing last week at the RJGA South Central Shootout played at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Golf Course in Mescalero, New Mexico.

Junior Gatlin Goad fired a team-low score of 67 (-5) in the second round on the way to tying for 20th with a 3-over, 54-hole total of 219.

Monday, October 2 - Tuesday, October 3

Time Match Digital Media
All Day Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational Live Stats (Coming Soon)
 

WOMEN'S GOLF

Midwestern State rides the momentum of a fifth-place showing in a strong field at the DBU Women's Classic played at Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch.

A trio of sophomores guided the Mustangs with Tristan Gabbard firing a collegiate-best 66 in the second round on the way to tying for seventh with a 2-under, 54-hole total of 214.

Alli Reily (74-74-72) and Kodi Nolen (76-73-73) tied for 20th and 29th, while freshman Madison Wert (75-73-76) and sophomore Brecklyn Flanagan (77-71-77) also delivered strong efforts to tie for 34th and 43rd, respectively.

The Mustangs competed in the West Texas A&M Fall Invitational set for Monday and Tuesday at the Tascosa Golf Club's La Paloma Course.

Monday, October 2 - Tuesday, October 3

Time Match Digital Media
All Day West Texas A&M Fall Invitational Live Stats (Coming Soon)
 

Following the Mustangs

LSC Digital Network

All games for the sports of football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball are available on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. Single-event passes run $15, while monthly subscription for all games on the LSC Digital Network run $30. An annual pass for the LSC Digital Network costs $140. Live stats are provided free-of-charge on MSUMustangs.com.

Tickets

All tickets for home events must be purchased online at TICKET LINK.

--MSUMustangs.com--

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Players Mentioned

Alex Serna

#13 Alex Serna

MB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Aaliyah Burras

#14 Aaliyah Burras

MH
5' 10"
Fifth Year
Rory Doyle

#6 Rory Doyle

MF
5' 11"
Sophomore
Gavin Scott

#9 Gavin Scott

F
5' 11"
Fifth Year
Darryl Walsh

#2 Darryl Walsh

D
6' 0"
Senior
Randi Heaton

#26 Randi Heaton

MF
5' 4"
Fifth Year
Olivia Okoye

#10 Olivia Okoye

F
5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
Brynn Covington

#15 Brynn Covington

F
5' 10"
Freshman
Lexi Beck

#23 Lexi Beck

MF
5' 6"
Junior
Solar SC
Isabella Cruz

#7 Isabella Cruz

MF
5' 8"
Junior
FC Westlake

Players Mentioned

Alex Serna

#13 Alex Serna

6' 1"
Sophomore
MB
Aaliyah Burras

#14 Aaliyah Burras

5' 10"
Fifth Year
MH
Rory Doyle

#6 Rory Doyle

5' 11"
Sophomore
MF
Gavin Scott

#9 Gavin Scott

5' 11"
Fifth Year
F
Darryl Walsh

#2 Darryl Walsh

6' 0"
Senior
D
Randi Heaton

#26 Randi Heaton

5' 4"
Fifth Year
MF
Olivia Okoye

#10 Olivia Okoye

5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
F
Brynn Covington

#15 Brynn Covington

5' 10"
Freshman
F
Lexi Beck

#23 Lexi Beck

5' 6"
Junior
Solar SC
MF
Isabella Cruz

#7 Isabella Cruz

5' 8"
Junior
FC Westlake
MF