GAME PREVIEW: Women's Soccer at University of Texas-Tyler (9/1)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
NEW SEASON
The University of Dallas women's soccer team opens the new campaign on Tuesday, September 1 at University of Texas at Tyler for a 7 p.m. tilt. It is the first of a three-game road trip to begin the fall for the Lady Crusaders.
MEET THE CRUSADERS
2015 Opening Roster for University of Dallas - Link Here
NOTES FROM 2014
Dallas boasted a 10-9-1 (7-4-1 SCAC) record and took third place in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) rankings. The total number of wins against league opponents was a program-most since UD became a member four years ago. As Dallas enters its fifth year in conference, third-year Head Coach Angelina Pane has guided the Navy and White to consecutive semifinal appearances. Coach Pane received two postseason honors with the West Region National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Coach-of-the-Year and Tri-SCAC Coach-of-the-Year.
Sophomore Elena Naccari (Covington, La.) was part of a trio in the SCAC to earn Newcomer-of-the-Year. In her rookie collegiate season, the goalkeeper worked eight shutouts, including seven the Lady Crusaders prevailed in. She allowed 1.53 goals a game, faced 201 shots, and notched 73 saves overall through 1,296 minutes between the pipes.
UD had a conference record, eight, postseason accolades. In addition to Coach Pane and Naccari's honors, returning players from that squad - junior Cascade Mayer (Kapaa, Hawaii), and sophomores Alice Nelson (Jackson, Tenn.) and Mackenzie Vasile (San Antonio, Texas) – received All-SCAC Second Team.
LEADING THE STATS
Among those on the roster again this upcoming fall, three Lady Crusaders blasted three goals apiece to lead the scoring. Mayer, Nelson, and Vasile are all within this unit, and Nelson kicked all of her netters for game-winners.
Nelson leads the returners with 26 shots and 18 shots on goal. Right behind her is Mayer with 23 and 16 attempts on target. Sophomore Taylor Ray (Cypress, Texas), and seniors Mariah Fairbanks (Rocklin, Ca.) and Abigale Weisbrod (Mesquite, Texas) also reached the scoring column. Ray added 15 shots and 10 on goal.
Sophomore Tori Fleharty amassed 48 saves through 505:56 minutes in goal last year.
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
University of Texas-Tyler (UT Tyler) is coming off a 13-3-2 overall year and 6-1-1 mark versus teams in the American Southwest Conference (ASC). The Patriots would be the runners up in the conference tournament, dropping a 1-0 affair to Hardin-Simmons University. Still UT Tyler continued its historic season with its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. SCAC program, No. 3 Trinity University, would defeat the Patriots 3-0 in the first round.
Again picked to finish second in the ASC entering 2015, the Patriots are led by Morgan Monzingo, who was selected ASC Women's Soccer Preseason Offensive Player-of-the-Year. She was the squad's leading scorer last season with 14 goals, four assists, and 32 points. She was effective garnering a 68.6 shots on goal percentage with 35 of her 51 attempts counting on goal.
Chestley Strother also returns for the Patriots and notched six goals to match that many assists for 18 points. She paced the team with 66 shots and four game-winners. Caitlyn Mortus and Kayla Akin chipped in goals with four and three, respectively.
HISTORY
Dallas leads the all-time series 5-2, but has fallen in the latest pair of meetings versus the Patriots. In 2014, the Lady Crusaders hosted UT Tyler in Irving, Texas, and were defeated 5-0. The road squad outshot UD 38-9. Strother and Monzingo posted the first two scoring results in respective order to be catalyst to a three-goal first half.
For UD, sophomore Kayla Glenn (Chandler, Ariz.) and Ray tallied two shots apiece. Sophomore Sydney Stirling (McLean, Va.), Ray, and Nelson each added a shot on goal.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dallas continues its road stint on the west coast this weekend. The first stop is Friday, Sept. 4 at William Jessup (4 p.m. PT) at 6 p.m. On Sunday, the Lady Crusaders wrap things up at Mills College (10 a.m. PT) with a noon kickoff.
The home-opener for Dallas is on Sept. 9 versus University of Texas at Dallas.
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Women's Soccer Twitter: @UDallasWSoccer
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallasathletics