LSC Women's Soccer Notes

The Lone Star Conference released the Women’s Soccer pre-season pool on July 30th. West Texas A&M received 14 1st place votes, A&M Commerce received 11 and Central Oklahoma the other three votes. The poll, interestingly enough, almost exactly replicates the order of finish of the 2008 season.

West Texas and A&M-Commerce, both selected for post-season NCAA playoffs in 2008, are expected to continue their recent successes. Selection to the NCAA tourney is based on regional rankings at the end of the regular season.

West Texas, led by Butch Lauffer (13th year as women’s head coach) lost to Washburn in the first round of the tourney last November by a 1-0 golden goal 47 seconds into the second overtime period.

A&M-Commerce, led by Neil Piper (12th year as head coach) went three rounds deep in the tourney in 2008. The Lions defeated Nebraska-Omaha 1-0 in the first round, and Central Missouri 2-0 in the second, before losing to Truman 2-1 in the third. A&M-Commerce enters 2009 play ranked #22 in the nation according to the pre-season polls.

The top six finishers based on regular season conference standings advance to the conference tourney, which will be held at the facility of the top-ranked team.

Individual players recognized as pre-season favorites include Alli Miller (Central OK) as the defensive player of the year, Meagan Lasley (A&M Commerce) as offensive player of the year and ACU’s Crissy Lawson as Goalkeeper of the year.

Most teams begin scrimmages next week with non-conference games beginning the following week, and conference play beginning in late September.