SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State soccer team will kick off Lone Star Conference play and honor Hispanic Hertiage this week with a matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 20 against UT-Permian Basin at 7 p.m. at the ASU Soccer Field and a Friday, Sept. 23 game against Midwestern State that is also at 7 p.m. and at home.
The Belles (4-1-1) enter LSC play by scoring nine goals and limiting teams to just three on teh season. ASU averages 17.5 shots per gamea nd has eight asssits on the year. Eight of ASU's nine goals have come in the first half and the Belles have not allowed a second half goal the entire season.
"Not playing at altitude, not having to travel, not having the distraction of being away on the road, I'm hoping that we can get more back in sync with the way that ASU Belle Soccer is," head ASU soccer coach Travis McCorkle said. "It will start on Wednesday and then we'll go from there."
So far at home this season the Belles have not allowed a goal on their turf, going 1-0-1 in the two home matches so far this season. Freshman goalkeeper Sammy Cude earned both the home shutouts, but is 3-1-1 on the season after suffering her first loss in Colorado this past weekend.
Despite the loss, Cude has a goals against average of just .353 which is good for 14th in the nation and first in the conference. She is maintaing a save percentage of .905 which ranks No. 2 in the LSC and 17th nationally. The California native has made 19 saves in her six games played this season, ranking second in the conference.
Cude has been helped by strong performances from the ASU back line as well. Ashley Exford, Shay Williams, Molly Warren, Lauren Perry and Callie Smith have impeded opponents most of the season, allowing just three goals in all six games combined.
The Belle's streak without giving up a goal ended during the weekend, after 383 consecutive shutout minutes, but the defense still played strong in Colorado. Colorado Mesa got off more shots than any other opponent has against ASU this season with 13, but only four were on goal, while Western State got off nine total shots and six on goal. Exford once again started in both matchups and played every minute of every game for the Belles, and she leads ASU in that category with 559 minutes played.
Forward Demi Tsambasis led the Belles attack again in Colorado, scoring her sixth goal of the season against Western State. The goal already ties the senior's season total from last year and is good for first in the conference and 14th in the nation. Tsambasis also ranks first in the LSC in game-winning goals, goals per game and total points.
Junior forward Tiffany Dang chipped in offensively and had a hand in both of the team's goals scored during the past weekend. Dang was credited with the assists on both goals ASU scored against Western State, including the golden goal to win in overtime Sunday. Dang also had three shots in the matchup with the Mountaineers, all of which were on goal. Overall, the junior out of North Richland Hills has three assists on the season with nine total shots and six on goal.
Trenadey Scott added her second goal of the season while the team was in Colorado, winning the game for the Belles in overtime on Friday. The game-winner was Scott's first in her career and was the first goal ASU has scored after the first half this season.
"Trenadey was able to score that game winner through the hard work of Tiffany, who got to the end line and crossed that ball off," McCorkle said, "but Trenadey is starting to get the runs I think we want her to make. I think she's going to continue to impress and progress as we move forward."
The only goal scored by someone other than Tsambasis or Scott this season came from forward Loni Byers on a free kick against New Mexico Highlands. Byers also has one assist on the year and eight total shots.
Haley Mendel is second on the team behind Dang with two assists this season and Byers and Shay Williams also have one each.
Elizabeth Rodriguez has the most shots on the team without a goal at 11 and five of her shots have been on goal. Morgan Sibson has also been helping on the attack, firing off nine shots of her own with to going on goal.
UT Permian Basin comes into Wednesday night's matchup with a record of 0-3-1, coming off back-to-back losses to St. Mary's and Adams State. Midwestern State has a record of 3-1-2 on the season and the one loss coming in a match against Colorado State-Pueblo.
