CANYON, Texas – Fresh off its, co-Lone Star Conference regular season title, the West Texas A&M women's soccer team kicks off the 2017 Friday evening against Adams State at 7 p.m. at The Pitch and completes the holiday weekend with Fort Lewis on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Fans can access live stats and streaming links of the games at www.gobuffsgo.com on the women's soccer schedule page.  The games will each had play-by-play with Angelo Pontello on the call.
 
The Lady Buffs are coming off an 11-6 record and a 9-3 mark in LSC play in 2016.  WT returns LSC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in junior Khadisha Debesette, who earned first team all-conference honors last year for the second-straight year after starting 14 matches and logging 1,259 minutes for the Lady Buffs.  She scored two goals, both game winners, and two assists.  She was part of a backline producing four shutouts, while playing 90 minutes in all but one match in 2016. 
 
As a team, the Lady Buffs were picked second in the preseason LSC poll as voted on by league coaches, sports information directors and select region media representatives.  WT garnered 119 points and six first place votes, while Texas A&M-Commerce was picked to win the league title with 127 points and nine first place nods.
 
Head coach Chad Webb begins his eighth season at the helm of the Lady Buffs as he was named LSC Coach of the Year for the second time in 2016.  The 11 wins last season marked the second-most during his tenure at WT.  Graduating senior Karyn Forbes was named LSC Midfielder of the Year in 2016.  Webb is 64-59-12 (.519). 
 
The Lady Buffs return leading scorer Marlene van Mourik who scored seven goals with three assists for 17 points in 2016 as a freshman midfielder earning second team all-conference accolades.  Junior Khadidra Debesette, sister of Khadisha, finished second on the team in scoring with 13 points on six goals and one assist, along with a team-best three game winners.  Khadidra Debesette earned first team all-conference honors last season.  Sophomore Ronni Ajeto returns as she earned honorable mention all-conference honors as a freshman as she scored five goals with one game winner.  Khadisha Debesette added two scores, while senior Alejandra Dockery returns after one goal in 2016.  WT returns 66.7 percent of its goal scorers from last season (21 of 28), while returning eight of 17 assists and eight of 11 game winners.  
 
Along with Debesette on defense, Kelsey Johnson returns after playing in four games last season.  In goal, junior Courtney Dippel returns after earning honorable mention all-conference honors last season.  Dippel played in 16 games with 15 starts going 9-6 with a 1.06 goals against average.  She had 77 saves in 1448:42 minutes of action, while allowing 17 goals and recording four shutouts. 
 
The Lady Buffs welcome 14 freshmen for the 2017 season and a total of 17 new players for the season.
 
Adams State enters the 2017 season after a 7-8-1 record in 2016 and a 4-7-1 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and picked 10^th in the preseason RMAC poll.  The Grizzlies return leading scorer from 2016 in senior Lacey Daniel as she scored four goals on 26 shots with eight shots on goal.  Adams State also returns senior Teagan Moore between the posts as she played and started in 16 games last season, logging 1479:38 minutes, allowing 23 goals with a 1.40 goals against average.  She had 81 saves and went 7-8-1 with five shutouts. 
 
Head coach Doris Sullivan begins her sixth year at the helm of the Grizzlies.  She is 30-43-15 (.426) in her time in Alamosa.  Sullivan took over the women's program in November, 2011, after serving as the men's assistant for three years.  She graduated from Olivet College in Olivet, Mich., where her 62 goals and 147 career points both rank second in school history.  She earned first team all-conference honors twice there.
 
WT is 3-0-0 all-time against Adams State, as the teams haven't played since Aug. 26, 2007 with a 7-1 win by the Lady Buffs in Canyon.  WT has outscored the Grizzlies 19-1 in the three meetings.  WT won the opener in 2004, 8-0 at New Mexico Highlands and won in Alamosa in 2006, 4-0. 
 
Fort Lewis opens at Eastern New Mexico on Sept. 1 before heading over to Canyon for the matchup with the Lady Buffs on Sept. 3.  The Skyhawks finished the 2016 season with a 6-9-2 record and a 5-6-1 mark in RMAC play.  FLC has lost its last three games dating back to last season.  The Skyhawks were picked eighth in the preseason RMAC poll.
 
The Skyhawks had three second team all-conference selections graduate in 2016.  Senior Alicia Sanchez returns after leading the team in scoring last season with six goals and two assists for 14 points.  She had one game winner.  Both goalkeepers return in sophomore Britt Blomso and junior Kaylee Mickens.  Blomso played in seven games with six starts, logging 557:03 minutes, allowing five goals for a 0.81 GAA.  She had 34 saves and a 2-2 record with two shutouts.  Mickens played in 12 games with 10 starts and saw 1024:32 minutes of action.  She allowed 16 goals for a 1.41 GAA, 42 saves with a 4-5-1 record and one shutout. 
 
Head coach Jimmy Hall begins his fourth year at the helm of the Skyhawks.  He is 24-22-11 (.518) and earned RMAC Coach of the Year in 2015 after leading Fort Lewis to a second place finish in the regular season with a 8-2-1 record in league play and a 12-5-4 mark overall.  He graduated from Fort Lewis in 2004 after playing for the Skyhawks and was a volunteer assistant coach for the men's team from 2004-2006. 
 
WT leads the all-time series 6-1 against Fort Lewis as the Lady Buffs won the first six meetings in the series as the Skyhawks won the last with a 1-0 victory in Canyon on Sept. 10, 2010.  WT is 3-1 in Canyon against FLC and 3-0 in Durango, Colo.  WT has outscored the Skyhawks 20-6 with two shutouts. 
 
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