Women’s Soccer Ready for First ASC Appearance
October 30, 2007

The University of Texas at Tyler’s women’s soccer team will play in its first-ever American Southwest Conference championship tournament this weekend in Abilene.

The tournament, hosted by Hardin-Simmons, begins at 11 a.m. Friday with No. 4 Mississippi College taking on No. 5 Texas Lutheran. Hardin-Simmons, ranked sixth nationally, is favored to repeat as ASC champions as they enter the tournament on a 98-game ASC win streak.

“We are very excited to be eligible for the playoffs and we have been working for this since I first arrived in Tyler,” said UT Tyler head coach Stefani Webb. “The University has done a tremendous job of providing our student-athletes with such an unbelievable opportunity and we are excited to be able to represent UT Tyler in the postseason.”

UT Tyler finished the regular season with an overall record of 11-3-3 and a conference mark of 9-1-3. That record was good enough to give the Patriots a No. 3 seed in the tournament, setting up a first-round game against Mary Hardin-Baylor, the sixth seed.

“The team is ready,” noted Webb. “We are excited but at the same time this team’s mentality is right on. We know how important every inch is in the game and they are focused on doing what they have to do.”

In their only meeting this season, UT Tyler beat UMHB, 2-0, in Tyler in early October. That game saw UT Tyler score twice within the first five minutes of the contest. The Patriots are 4-1 all-time against the Cru.

“I think this will be a tough game. We beat them, 2-0, at home this year and thankfully scored two good goals in the first five minutes,” said Webb of UMHB. “The remaining 85 minutes was an even game. I think they'll be ready to face us this time and will play with a tremendous amount of confidence. We have to stay disciplined and be ready to work. I know we'll be ready to go on Friday.”

Statistically, the Patriots rank near the top of the ASC in all key stats. UT Tyler is fifth in total goals with 44 on the season and fifth in goals per game with 2.59. They have also allowed only 15 goals total, the fourth lowest total in the league, in route to nine shutouts.

Sophomore goalkeeper Sam Fraser (Lindale, Texas) is currently fourth in the ASC in goals against average and save percentage with .79 and 81.5 percent, respectively. Fraser also ranks sixth in the ASC in shutouts with three. She currently leads the Patriots’ goalkeeping staff with 44 saves and a record of 7-2-3 between the posts.

Offensively the Patriots have used a balanced attack, spreading out their 44 goals over 17 different players. Freshman forward Kendall Kramer (Houston, Texas) currently leads the team with six goals, while freshman forward Leah Solomon (Schertz, Texas) and senior forward Jorden Reed (Keller, Texas) share the lead in assists with four.

“The girls are playing some great soccer right now and I am so proud of them. We know that it is going to be hard to win three games in three days this weekend, but of if any team I have ever coached can do it, this is one,” said Webb.

UT Tyler’s first-round game against UMHB is set for 2 p.m. Friday. The winner will take on Texas-Dallas at 2 p.m. Saturday and the ASC final is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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