Wednesday, October 12 • San Antonio • Sigma Beta Chi Field
#1 DBU (9-1-1, 5-1-1) at St. Mary's (9-2-2, 3-2-2) • 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 15 • Odessa • UTPB Soccer Field
St. Mary's at UT Permian Basin (4-5-2, 2-4-1) • 1 p.m.
Tough Test: St. Mary's hosts the number one team in the nation on Wednesday when DBU comes to town. The Rattlers then travel to UT Permian Basin on Saturday, starting a three-game road stretch.
It's Possible: St. Mary's is 1-0 all-time against the number one team in the nation, defeating Southern Nazarene on Sept. 21, 1996, winning 3-1 at home. That was an incredible week for the Rattlers as they also beat #5 Incarnate Word 1-0 two days after beating SNU.
Connect Four: The Rattlers have recorded four consecutive shutouts, tying the school's longest streak since joining the Division II ranks (2000). The 1997 team didn't allow a goal for six-straight contests in October, while the 1998 team had two long streaks of four and five straight. This season's team has gone 437 consecutive minutes without giving up a goal, dating back to Sept. 21 at Angelo State.
Series History: The Rattlers are looking to snap a 17-game losing skid to DBU - the longest streak in school history. StMU dominated the series early before the tide turned as the teams are 18-21-1 all-time in 40 contests. The two squads have evenly split the 18 games in San Antonio, 9-9. On the flip side, the Rattlers have a commanding 20-4 lead in the series with UT Permian Basin and have won 10 of the last 11 meetings.
One More: A win this week would give the Rattlers 10 victories, tying for the most in a season since the 2005 team won 13. In 2006, 2010 and 2015 the teams won 10 matches each and the record for wins in the Division II era is 13 by both 2002 and 2005. The Rattlers have already matched last season's win total of nine with five regular season games left on the slate.
In the Record Books: Fifth-year senior D Megan Copeland tied the school record with her fifth game-winning goal of the year in the 1-0 victory against Oklahoma Christian on Saturday. Copeland is tied for the lead in the Lone Star Conference and ranks fourth nationally with her five game-winners. She tied Kyle Hyslop from 2005 on the school's single-season charts and her eight career game-winning goals is tied for third with Deann Lopez (2004-06). The school record is 13 by Hyslop (2003-06), while Kaitie Kasperitis (2011-14) is second with 10.
Lone Star Leaders: St. Mary's leads the Lone Star Conference in total goals (28) and total points (76). The team is also second in goals against average (0.538), points per game (5.85) and shutout percentage (0.615). Individually, senior Megan Copeland is tied for the league lead in game winners (5) and second in total assists (4). Sophomore GK Rebecca Difronzo is third in goals against average (0.618) and shutouts (5) and senior Juni Ejere ranks third in goals/game (0.67), points/game (1.58), shot accuracy (0.625).
