CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M men's soccer team opens the 2017 season Friday at 2:30 p.m. CT at Colorado Christian and then scheduled to play at Colorado State-Pueblo Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.   Links to live stats and streaming of the games can be found on the men's soccer schedule page at www.gobuffsgo.com. 
 
The Buffs are coming off a 14-5-1 record in 2016 and a 10-3-1 mark in the Heartland Conference.  WT finished the season with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the semifinals of the Heartland Conference Championship to St. Edward's and narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA playoffs. 
 
Head coach Butch Lauffer begins his record-setting 27^th year at the helm of the Buffs.  He is 304-140-33 (.672) and has guided the Buffs to five NCAA playoff berths, including two Elite Eight appearances. 
 
Lauffer has nine seniors in 2017 highlighted by three preseason all-conference selections in senior goalkeeper Casey Tilly and senior defender Mirza Dizdarevic, along with junior midfielder Ivan Ulloa.  The Buffs were picked third in the Heartland Conference preseason poll with Midwestern State tabbed as the league favorite followed by St. Edward's.  WT had 236 points and one first place vote in the poll. 
 
Tilly transferred to WT from Incarnate Word and redshirted for the Buffs in 2015, while making one start with two appearances in 2016.  Dizdarevic started 18 of 20 matches in 2016 earning second team all-conference honors and all-tournament accolades.  He was a second team D2CCA all-region selection after finishing the season with five goals, including three game winners, three assists and 13 points.  Disdarevic transferred to WT last season from Santa Barbara City College.
 
Ulloa was one of three underclassmen to earn first team all-conference honors last season.  He led the team in goals (6), assists (4) and points (16), while starting in 18 of 20 matches.  Ulloa was part of an offense ranking sixth in the nation in shots per game (19.55) and 11^th in shots on goal per game (8.45).  He earned second team D2CCA all-region honors.  For his career, Ulloa has played in 37 matches with 30 starts and has led the team in assists both seasons at WT.
 
Along with the preseason all-league performers, the Buffs return a number of key contributors, including junior midfielder Reece Schattle who tallied three goals and tied for the team high in assists with four.  Also back is senior forward Gabe Williams, who added three goals and two assists, along with senior midfielder Rafael Vasconcellos as he had three goals and two assists.  Senior midfielder Evan Bozman returns after scoring two goals and four assists last season.  Tilly, along with three freshman goalkeepers, will replace Patrick Satorie who played in 19 games with 18 starts and a 0.67 goals against average.  He went 14-4-1 with 12 shutouts and 13 goals allowed, while recording 46 saves last season.
 
WT returns 66 percent of its scoring from last year (29 goals of 44), while also returning 66 percent of its assists (25 of 38).  Lauffer and the Buffs welcome 11 new faces for the 2017 season.
 
Colorado Christian enters the season following a 2-18 campaign in 2016 and a 1-13 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  Junior forward Blake Goodale returns for the Cougars as he led the team in scoring with seven goals, one assist and 15 points.  No other Cougar had more than two goals as the team scored 14 for the season and allowed 63.  Colorado Christian will need to replace Brandon Eide between the pipes as he played and started all 20 matches logging 1814:43 minutes, allowing 63 goals for a 3.12 GAA, with 166 save and a 2-18 record with one shutout.  CCU was picked 11^th in the preseason RMAC poll. 
 
CCU head coach Gary Evans is in his seventh year of his second stint as head coach of the Cougars.  He initially joined the program in 1996 and coached until 2003 before resigning and resuming his duties in May of 2011. 
 
The Buffs own a 9-0 record all-time against Colorado Christian dating back to Oct. 18, 1991.  WT is 4-0 in Lakewood, Colo., 4-0 in Canyon and 1-0 in neutral site contests.  This will be the third-straight meeting in Lakewood, but first since a 5-0 win by the Buffs on Sept. 14, 2003.  WT has outscored CCU 33-5 in the nine meetings with four shutouts.
 
Colorado State-Pueblo will host Rogers State on Sept. 1, prior to entertaining the Buffs on Sept. 3.  CSUP went 8-10 in 2016 with a 6-8 mark in the RMAC, including a 3-0 loss to WT in Canyon on Sept. 11.  Sophomore Miles Sanchez returns after he led the team in scoring last season with five goals and 10 points.  In goal sophomore Erich Frey returns after playing in 17 games with 15 starts last season, while logging 1398:39 minutes and allowing 29 goals.  He had a 1.89 goals against average with 58 saves and three shutouts.  Frey went 7-7 on the year.  Head coach Roy Stanley is entering his 23^rd season at the helm of the ThunderWolves. CSUP was picked seventh in the preseason RMAC poll.
 
The Buffs lead the all-time series with CSUP 13-1-1, including a 3-0 win last season in Canyon.  In that game, Ulloa scored a goal, as did Williams, while former Buff Thomas Vickers scored the game winner.  All three goals came within a span of 6:03 in the first half with the first coming at the 5:42 mark by Vickers.  The Buffs are 4-1-1 in Pueblo, 8-0 in Canyon and 1-0 in neutral site matchups.  This will be the third meeting in the last five matches in Pueblo between the two teams with WT winning three of the last four. 
 
For the latest on WT Athletics, follow the Buffs/Lady Buffs via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  Also check back with www.gobuffsgo.com for the latest information on news, statistics, tickets and more on all of West Texas A&M athletics.