The East Texas A&M Lions women's soccer team is the women's intercollegiate soccer program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For the first 27 years of existence, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The East Texas A&M women's soccer team plays its home games at Lion Soccer Field on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. The Lions won four LSC regular season championships, three conference tournament titles, and made six appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The team is currently coached by Ashley Gordon.
| East Texas A&M Lions women's soccer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Founded | 1995 | ||
| University | East Texas A&M University | ||
| Head coach | Ashley Gordon (3rd season) | ||
| Conference | Southland | ||
| Location | Commerce, Texas | ||
| Stadium | Lion Soccer Field (Capacity: 500) | ||
| Nickname | Lions | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] | ||
| |||
| NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | |||
| 1999 | |||
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |||
| 1999, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 | |||
| Conference Tournament championships | |||
| 1999, 2004, 2014, 2015 | |||
| Conference Regular Season championships | |||
| 1999, 2003, 2008, 2014, 2016 | |||
- For information on all East Texas A&M University sports, see East Texas A&M Lions
History
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Women's soccer has been a varsity sport at East Texas A&M since the 1995 season, when the school was still known as Texas A&M–Commerce and competed as an independent. The Lions subsequently began play as an LSC member when the conference began officially sponsoring the sport in 1996. During the first three years of the program's existence, Mike Munch led A&M–Commerce to two winning seasons and two appearances in the LSC semifinals, albeit no NCAA tournament appearances.[2]
Since beginning conference play, the Lions have won the LSC regular season title on five occasions (in 1999, 2003, 2014, and including co-championships in 2008 and 2016) and the tournament championship four times (in 1999, 2004, 2014, and 2015).[2][3] East Texas A&M has also eight seven postseason appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament, achieving their best result (an appearance in the Elite Eight) during their first campaign in 1999. The program has won all of its championships and made all of its NCAA postseason appearances during the tenure of Neil Piper, who served as head coach from 1998 to 2021.[2]
After the 2021 season, Piper announced his resignation on December 9, 2021.[4] Ashley Gordon was hired as the program's third head coach on January 4, 2022.[5] During their first season in the Southland, the Lions went 7-8-1 during the regular season, finishing third in the conference. In the conference tournament, they defeated the Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders in the quarterfinal round,[6] then shocked the Northwestern State Lady Demons in the semifinal round,[7] before eventually falling to the Lamar Lady Cardinals in the Southland Conference Championship game.[8] This gave them a 9-9-2 record in their first season as a Division I school.[9]
During Gordon's second season, the Lions became the first East Texas A&M sports program to have an overall winning record in a season as a Division I team, going 9-7-3. They clinched the second seed in the Southland Conference Tournament, but were eliminated in the first round by the Houston Christian Huskies.[10][11]
All-time record
edit| Year | Head Coach | Overall | Pct. | Conf. | Pct. | Place | Tourn. | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mike Munch | 0-2-2 | .250 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1996 | 9-8-2 | .526 | 2-4-2 | .375 | T4th | Semifinals | – | |
| 1997 | 12-8 | .600 | 6-4 | .600 | T2nd | Semifinals | – | |
| 1998 | Neil Piper | 13-6 | .684 | 5-2 | .714 | T3rd | Semifinals | – |
| 1999 | 16-4-1 | .786 | 7-1-1 | .833 | 1st | Champions | Elite Eight | |
| 2000 | 9-6-1 | .594 | 3–4 | .429 | 6th | – | – | |
| 2001 | 9-8-2 | .526 | 5-2 | .714 | T2nd | Semifinals | – | |
| 2002 | 14-3-2 | .789 | 4-3-1 | .563 | 5th | – | – | |
| 2003 | 16-3-3 | .795 | 7-1-1 | .833 | 1st | Runners-Up | First Round | |
| 2004 | 15-7-1 | .674 | 7-2 | .778 | 2nd | Champions | First Round | |
| 2005 | 11-5-3 | .658 | 5-2-2 | .667 | 3rd | Quarterfinals | – | |
| 2006 | 12-8-3 | .587 | 6-2-1 | .722 | T3rd | Runners-Up | – | |
| 2007 | 9-10-1 | .475 | 5-4 | .556 | T3rd | Semifinals | – | |
| 2008 | 16-4-3 | .761 | 7-1-2 | .800 | T1st | Runners-Up | Sweet Sixteen | |
| 2009 | 10-8-1 | .553 | 5-5 | .500 | 6th | Quarterfinals | – | |
| 2010 | 8-7-3 | .528 | 4-4-3 | .500 | 6th | Quarterfinals | – | |
| 2011 | 8-9-3 | .475 | 6-6-2 | .500 | 4th | Semifinals | – | |
| 2012 | 5–12 | .294 | 4–10 | .286 | T7th | – | – | |
| 2013 | 11-6-2 | .632 | 5-4-1 | .550 | 3rd | Semifinals | First Round | |
| 2014 | 16-5-1 | .750 | 7-3 | .700 | 1st | Champions | Sweet Sixteen | |
| 2015 | 13-6-2 | .667 | 7-1-2 | .800 | 2nd | Champions | First round | |
| 2016 | 15-6-1 | .705 | 9-3-0 | .750 | T1st | Runners-Up | Sweet Sixteen | |
| 2017 | 12-4-3 | .711 | 8-3-1 | .708 | 2nd | Semifinals | – | |
| 2018 | 9-8 | .529 | 6-6 | .500 | 4th | Quarterfinals | – | |
| 2019 | 10-8-1 | .553 | 7-6 | .538 | 7th | Quarterfinals | – | |
| 2020 | 4-3 | .571 | 3-2 | .600 | 4th | Semifinals | – | |
| 2021 | 10-8-2 | .550 | 7-5-1 | .577 | 7th | Semifinals | – | |
| 2022 | Ashley Gordon | 9-9-2 | .500 | 7-4-1 | .625 | 3rd | Runners-Up | – |
| 2023 | 9-7-3 | .553 | 7-1-2 | .800 | 2nd | First Round | — |
Year-by-year results through the end of the 2023 season[2][3]
Stadium
edit.jpg) Lion Soccer Field as it appeared during the 2014 season | |
 | |
| Location | On Hubbell Dr and Culver St Commerce, Texas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°14′17.9″N 95°54′57.8″W / 33.238306°N 95.916056°W |
| Owner | East Texas A&M University |
| Operator | East Texas A&M University |
| Seating type | bleacher bench |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Field size | 115 X 72 yards |
| Surface | grass |
| Scoreboard | electronic, digital |
| Construction | |
| Built | 2009 |
| Opened | September 24, 1999 |
| Tenants | |
| East Texas A&M University (NCAA) | |
Lion Soccer Field has been the home of the East Texas A&M Lions women's soccer team since 1999. The stadium seats 500 spectators with bleacher seating and has a playing surface that measures 115 yards (105 m) by 72 yards (66 m). Prior to its construction, the land on which it was built had been occupied by a botanical nursery and tennis courts.[12]
Improvements
editAt the time it hosted its first game, on September 24, 1999, the venue consisted of little more than a Bermuda grass field, a scoreboard donated by a local business, and a chain-link fence around the perimeter. Over the next decade and a half, Lion Soccer Field benefited from numerous upgrades, including the addition of floodlights to enable the playing of night games (2009), a press box (2011), a permanent black metal fence to replace the chain-link fence (2013), and a new scoreboard (2014).
Post season play
editIn 2014, the stadium hosted both the Lone Star Conference Tournament as well as two opening-round games in the South Central Region of the NCAA Division II Tournament.[12]
High attendance
editBelow is the Lions' yearly high home attendance at the Lion Soccer Field since 2010.
| Season | High | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly Home Attendance | ||
| 2022[13] | 711 | |
| 2021[13] | 257 | |
| 2020[13] | 217* | |
| 2019[13] | 412 | |
| 2018[13] | 605 | |
| 2017[13] | 337 | |
| 2016[13] | 630 | |
| 2015[13] | 306 | |
| 2014[13] | 537 | |
| 2013[13] | 431 | |
| 2012[13] | 448 | |
| 2011[13] | 212 | |
| 2010[13] | 221 | |
- Stadium capacity limited due to COVID19 precautions
References
edit- ^ "Logo Downloads - Texas A&M University-Commerce". Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "All-time Game Results". LionAthletics.com. Texas A&M University–Commerce. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- ^ a b "2015 LSC Fall Media Guide". Lone Star Conference. 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- ^ Manck, Josh (December 9, 2021). "Piper resigns as head coach of Lion Soccer after 24 seasons". LionsAthletics.com. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ "Ashley Gordon hired as head soccer coach at Texas A&M University-Commerce". LionsAthletics.com. January 4, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ "No. 3 Lions collect first DI postseason win, 2–1, over No. 6 Islanders". LionAthletics.com. November 2, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Overtime thriller punches Lions' ticket to the SLC Championship Match". LionAthletics.com. November 2, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Lions fall to Lamar in Southland Tournament Championship match". LionAthletics.com. November 2, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Soccer Schedule". LionAthletics.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "2023 Soccer Schedule". LionAthletics.com. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ "Lions beat Cowgirls, 1-0, clinch No. 2 seed and first winning season in DI era". LionAthletics.com. October 27, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Lion Soccer Field". LionAthletics.com. East Texas A&M University. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Texas A&M-Commerce Lions". NCAA. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
External links
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