CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M men's soccer team looks to keep its five-game unbeaten streak alive as it concludes a season-long, six-game road trip at No. 18 St. Edward's Thursday at 3 p.m., followed by a road game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Dallas Baptist. The Buffs are 7-3-1 on the year and 5-2-1 in Heartland Conference play.
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WT is 3-0-1 on the current road trip and posted a 2-0 win at Rogers State last Thursday, followed by a 0-0 tie at Newman on Saturday. Overall, WT is 5-1-1 on the year away from home and just 2-2 at The Pitch. The Buffs are receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25. The Buffs are fifth in the United Soccer Coaches South Central Region rankings, with Midwestern State leading the ranking, followed by Colorado Mines, St. Edward's, Colorado Mesa and WT.
The Buffs have the third-best conference record and lead the West Division of the Heartland Conference with a 5-2-1 league mark. St. Edward's leads the South Division with a 6-1-1 record and Midwestern State leads the North Division with league-best 7-0-1 record. With a win over St. Edward's Thursday and a strong finish to the season, WT could potentially earn a bye in the first round of the Heartland Conference Tournament. Following this weekend's games, the Buffs play three of the final four games of the season at The Pitch, for the second half of divisional play against Lubbock Christian (H), Eastern New Mexico (twice) and UT Permian Basin (H). WT is 2-0 against the West Division so far this season with wins at Lubbock Christian and UT Permian Basin.
For the year, junior forward Callum Challinor leads the team with 16 points on seven goals and two assists. He has 27 shots (.259) with 15 on frame (.556) and a team-best three game winners. Junior Julio Vargas is second in scoring with 13 points on five goals and three assists. He leads the team in shots with 34 (.147) and in shots on goal with 16 (.471). Vargas has one game winner on the year. Senior Rafael Vasconcellos is third in scoring with 11 points on four goals and three assists. He is one of two Buffs (junior Ivan Ulloa) who has converted a penalty kick this season. Freshman Stefan Andjelic has four goals and two assists for 10 points on the year and two game winners.
In goal, freshman Alexander Vencel has logged 992:02 minutes, allowing 11 goals in 11 starts for a 1.00 goals against average. He has 37 saves (.771) and a 7-3-1 record with three shutouts. Graduate Casey Tilly has played in one game logging 22:07 minutes, allowing one goal.
As a team, the Buffs have scored 34 goals for a 3.09 goals per game average. WT has 20 assists and 88 points on the year. The Buffs have 186 shots (.183) with 96 on frame (.516), along with seven game winners and are 2-2 in penalty kicks. The Buffs have done most of their damage in the second half, outscoring the opposition 26-6 in the second half and 8-5 in the first. WT has 74 corner kicks for the year and has allowed 43.
Conversely, the team has allowed just 12 scores on the year and seven assists for a 1.09 goals allowed per game average. The opposition has fired 98 shots (.122), with 50 on frame (.510), along with three game winners, and is 1-2 on penalty kicks.
WT head coach Butch Lauffer is 311-143-34 in 27 years of coaching the men's program. He eclipsed 500 career wins earlier this season as he coached both the Buffs and Lady Buffs from 1996-2009, starting the women's program. Lauffer is 501-210-51 overall between both programs.
Nationally speaking, the Buffs are 12th nationally in corner kicks per game at 6.73 to lead the conference, while ranking second in the league in fewest fouls per game at 10.09, ranking 23rd nationally. WT has 111 fouls on the year. The Buffs are eighth nationally and first in the conference in points per game at 8.00, while ranking fourth nationally in scoring offense at 3.09 goals per game. WT is 17th nationally in shots per game (16.91) and seventh in shots on goal per game (8.73), both leading the league. The Buffs are first in the league, and fifth nationally in goals with 34 and 11th nationally in points with 88 to lead the conference.
Individually, Challinor is 13th nationally and third in the league in game winning goals with three, while ranking fourth the league in goals per game at 0.64. He is fourth in the league in points per game (1.45), while also ranking fourth in the HC in total goals with seven and fifth in total points with 16. Vencel is fifth in the conference in save percentage at .771, while ranking fourth in shutouts with three. He is fifth in the league in saves with 37 and sixth in goals against average at 1.00.
St. Edward's enters with a 9-2-1 record overall and a 6-1-1 mark in conference play. The Hilltoppers split a pair of games last week, losing 2-1 at Texas A&M-International and winning at Dallas Baptist 1-0. The loss to TAMIU snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1). TAMIU scored in the 89th minute breaking a 1-1 tie off a free kick from 22 yards out.
The Hilltoppers have scored 24 goals on the year, while allowing 10 and have 173 shots (.139) and 69 on goal (.399). The team has nine game winners and are 3-3 in penalty kicks, while recording 69 corner kicks, 28 saves and 20 assists for 68 points.
Individually, SEU is led by Dylan Armstrong, who has six goals, five assists and 17 points, while recording four game winners to lead the team. He has a team-high 39 shots (.154) with 20 on goal (.513) and is 2-2 in PK's. Grant Mobley is second in scoring with 11 points on four goals and three assists. He has 18 shots and seven on goal with one game winner. In goal, William Tuffin has played and started all 12 games and logged all 1100 minutes. He has allowed 10 goals (0.82 GAA), with 28 saves (.737) and recorded five shutouts with a 9-2-1 record.
Nationally speaking, Armstrong is eighth nationally and second in the conference in game winners with four, while Tuffin is 17th nationally in minutes played in goal and 32nd in goals against average, which is good for third in the league (0.82). Tuffin is 15th nationally and leads the league in shutouts with five. Armstrong is second in the conference in shots on goal per game (1.67) and is 29th in total assists (5), while ranking fourth in the league in points with 17.
WT leads the all-time series with St. Edward's 13-7, but the Hilltoppers have won four of the past five with the lone WT win being in Austin on Oct. 17, 2015, in a 2-0 decision during that span. SEU has won the last two, including a 2-1 win in the Heartland Conference semifinals last season at Midwestern State. Prior to SEU winning four of the last five, WT had won the last seven, and is 6-3 all-time at St. Edward's, splitting the last two meetings there.
Dallas Baptist is 6-5-1 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play entering the week. DBU will host Eastern New Mexico Thursday before the Buffs visit on Saturday. The Patriots have dropped their past two games in a pair of shutout losses at St. Mary's (4-0) and against St. Edward's (1-0). DBU is 5-2-1 at home this season.
The Patriots have scored 16 goals on the year, while allowing 14 as the team has 144 shots (.111) with 60 on frame (.417) and six game winners. DBU has 16 assists for 48 points and 40 corner kicks this season. Individually, Ethan Martinez leads the team with five goals and three assists for 13 points. He has a team-high 38 shots (.132) with 16 on goal (.421) and one game winner. Garrett Morgan is second in scoring with nine points on three goals and three assists and a game winner. Six different Patriots each have game winners this season.
In goal, Tyler Hofmann has played in ten games with nine starts, logging 861:29 minutes, allowing 10 goals (1.04 GAA), with 43 saves (.811) and a 4-4-1 record. He has three shutouts, while Sean Bouland has started three games for 238:31 minutes. Bouland has allowed four goals with 11 saves and a 2-1 record, along with two shutouts.
WT is a perfect 9-0 all-time against Dallas Baptist, outscored the Patriots 39-5 in the meetings, while recording three-straight shutouts. WT won 2-0 in Canyon last season. This will be the fourth meeting at DBU in the series as WT leads 3-0.
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