Wednesday, September 14 • Tyler, Texas • Perkins Soccer Complex
#21 St. Mary's (1-0-2) at UT Tyler (4-0-0) • 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 17 • San Antonio • Sigma Beta Chi Field
Texas A&M San Antonio (2-0-0) at #21 St. Mary's • 5 p.m.
Split Week: St. Mary's starts the week with a non-conference match at UT Tyler on Wednesday before opening the home portion of the schedule against Texas A&M San Antonio in the team's final game against a non-Lone Star Conference opponent. Both contests are slated to start at 5 p.m.
Defense Wins Championships: Prognosticators often say good defense leads to offense and that's certainly the case for the 2022 Rattlers as all three goals have been scored by defenders. Sophomore Bradley Greene scored the first goal of the season, burying the game-tying goal from 25 yards in the 52nd minute at West Texas A&M to secure the draw. Senior Ariel Cardozo posted both goals in the win at Colorado State-Pueblo - and did so in just under 70 seconds. Both were named Lone Star Conference Defensive Players of the Week for their efforts.
Drawing Even: In two of the three matches this season, the new NCAA rule has come into effect, resulting in a draw. The school record for most ties in a season is five by the 1981 squad which went 5-9-5. Since joining NCAA Division II in 2000, three teams have posted three ties, including the 2019 team that won the Lone Star Conference and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
History: The Rattlers hold a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series against UT Tyler. A season ago, StMU won two of the three meetings, including a 3-1 victory in the first round of the Lone Star Tournament. In Tyler, the Rattlers are 1-1. The Rattlers have never faced Texas A&M San Antonio as it is in its second year of athletics.
Ranked: In the most recent USCAA poll, the Rattlers jumped into the rankings at #21. It is the 16th time in school history StMU has appeared in the top 25. The squad also jumped four spots to fourth in the South Central Regional poll. All four of the first opponents appear in the top eight in the region.
Saving The Day: Junior goalkeeper Andre Schlaefli currently ranks second in the Lone Star Conference with an .889 saves percentage and leads the league with 5.33 saves per game.
Melting Pot: On the 2022 roster, there are players hailing from 13 different countries and within the United States, three states are represented. The club has multiple players from the US (12), England (3), Scotland (3), Brazil (2), Ireland (2) and Paraguay (2) and has one player from Colombia, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
