SAN ANTONIO — The world's biggest soccer tournament may be over for 2026, but the action is just getting started for St. Mary's University Women's Soccer. The Rattlers will host nine home matches during the 2026 season, along with two exhibition contests, giving fans 11 opportunities to catch high-level soccer at Sigma Beta Chi Field.
The Rattlers, who are coming off a 9-6-3 2025 campaign and a trip to the Lone Star Conference quarterfinals, return 14 letterwinners from that team, including Lone Star Conference Newcomer and Forward of the Year
Elena Kossler (Ötztal-Bahnhof, Austria). Kossler led the league in game-winning goals (5), goals per game (0.72), points per game (1.78), shots per game (4.50) and shots on goal per game (2.28) and ranked in the top 16 in the nation in all five categories.
StMU will not leave the city for its three exhibition games, hosting Our Lady of the Lake on Thursday, August 13, at 7 p.m. to kick things off. The Rattlers then welcome Classics Elite Soccer Academy to Sigma Beta Chi on Wednesday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. before heading across the city for the final exhibition against UTSA on August 23.
The regular season and home-opener is against Fort Lewis on Thursday, August 27, at 4 p.m. in a doubleheader with the men's team, and the two teams will play another doubleheader on Saturday, as the women square off with Lynn at Noon for only the second time in school history (2024).
Lone Star Conference play begins on the road at Texas A&M International on Wednesday, Sept. 9, while the home portion of that slate starts three days later with UT Permian Basin coming to the pitch at 7:30 p.m.
The annual Battle of the Saints takes place on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m., and will feature several fan promotions. St. Edward's and St. Mary's compete in an annual bragging rights competition, with each team being awarded one point during the regular season. If the teams play more than once, the winner of the series receives the point. The Rattlers have won the annual competition each of the last three years, including 5.5-2.5 victories in 2024-25 and 2025-26. St. Edward's last won the title in 2020-21, 3.5-2.5, and the two teams each scored three points in 2022-23.
Alumni Night will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 5:30 p.m. against UT Tyler, and Senior Night is on the regular-season finale against Lubbock Christian at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Single game tickets are now on sale and are $12 for general admission, $3 for youth aged 8-12 and children 7-and-younger are free, as are all St. Mary's students with a student ID.
