Setting the Scene
The SWOSU soccer team will play two non-conference games this week, visiting West Texas A&M on Thursday evening before opening hosting Nebraska-Kearney in the home opener on Sunday, starting a three-game homestand.
The Coaches
Mark Persson enters his fifth season at SWOSU in 2013. He has orchestrated an amazing turnaround and he holds a 41-33-6 record leading the Lady Bulldogs, becoming the program's all-time winningest coach during the 2012 season. Persson has twice been recognized as a conference coach of the year, most recently claiming the GAC's honor in 2012.
Chad Webb is in his fourth season at the helm of the West Texas A&M soccer team after previously serving as an assistant at WT for 14 seasons. He has a record of 30-26-6 as the Lady Buffs head man.
John Maessner is in his second season as the head coach at Nebraska-Kearney. In 2012, the Lopers went 9-7-2, marking UNK's first winning season since starting women's soccer in the fall of 2009.
About the Opponents
West Texas A&M is 0-2-1 heading into Thursday night's game. The Lady Buffs have played all three of their games at home, falling to Metro State and Colorado Mines before recording a tie against New Mexico Highlands on Tuesday. WT owns the all-time series against SWOSU, winning all 14 previous meetings between the two schools. SWOSU has played West Texas A&M more times than any other program without recording a victory against them.
On the flip side is Nebraska-Kearney who SWOSU will be meeting for the first time ever on Sunday. UNK started a women's soccer program in 2009 and they notched their first winning season in 2012. UNK enters the weekend 1-1 with a win over Sioux Falls and a loss to Southwest Minnesota State last week. The Lopers will face Northwestern Oklahoma State on Friday before coming to Weatherford.
Last Time Out
SWOSU opened up the 2013 season with a 4-1 victory at Missouri Southern on Friday night. The competition level was raised for Sunday's game as SWOSU faced an NCAA Division I foe, Oral Roberts, for the first time in program history. ORU handed SWOSU the worst loss of the
Mark Persson era in defeating the Lady Bulldogs 6-1.
Player of the Week
After leading the SWOSU soccer team with two goals in two games, junior forward
Samantha Nunez has been named the Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The conference office announced the awards on Tuesday afternoon.
In Friday's season opener at Missouri Southern, Nunez scored the second goal in a 4-1 victory to help SWOSU open up the season with a victory for the second consecutive season. On Sunday, the Lady Bulldogs faced NCAA Division I foe Oral Roberts and Nunez netted the lone goal for SWOSU in a 6-1 defeat.
A junior from Pflugerville, Texas, Nunez was a First Team All-GAC selection at forward last season and she currently ranks second in the conference in goals scored and points.
Regular Season Success
Sunday's loss against Oral Roberts snapped a streak of 19 regular season games without a defeat for the SWOSU soccer team. The Lady Bulldogs made it through the entire 2012 regular season unbeaten, finishing with a 17-0-1 record en route to the Great American Conference championship. They then opened the 2013 season with a 4-1 victory over Missouri Southern to extend the school-record streak to 19 games.
Spread the Wealth
Four different players for SWOSU have combined for the five goals scored by the team through two games.
Samantha Nunez is leading the way as the only player to score a goal in both games.
Paige Doherty,
Alexis Russell and
Natalie Crosslin scored the additional three goals against Missouri Southern on Friday. Doherty also had two assists on Friday and is tied with Nunez for the team-lead with four points.
Jessica Carbonara also had an assists against MSSU, giving SWOSU four assists on five goals scored for the year.
Looking Ahead
The upcoming three-game homestand wraps up with non-conference meetings against Wayland Baptist next Friday and Central Oklahoma next Sunday.
