CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M men's soccer begins their 2025 campaign on Thursday afternoon as they travel to Wichita, Kansas to take on the Newman Jets at Wilkins Field.
The Buffaloes finished 6-7-5 last season including a 4-2-4 mark in the highly competitive Lone State Conference. Returners
D'Jonte Davis and
Luke Southerington along with transfer defender Arthur Marci were named to the league's Preseason Watch List.
THE SERIES
Thursday afternoon is the seventh all-time meeting between the Buffs and Jets in a series that dates back to 2010. West Texas A&M leads the series 5-0-1 as they are 1-0-1 in Wichita. The last meeting between the two teams came on September 20, 2018 with a 3-0 win by the Buffs in Canyon.
A LOOK AT THE JETS
Newman enters the 2025 campaign sitting fourth in the annual MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll announced on August 14
th. Newman returns four All-Conference honorees from last season: Gabriel Dias Juliani, Gustavo Dias Juliani, Cameron Schroder, and Gibran Villalobos.
Victor Domingues is entering into his third season with the Jets in the 2025 season. In the 2024 season, Domingues led the Jets to an 8-10-1 overall record. The Jets reached their first MIAA/GAC postseason appearance in the 2024 season. The Brazil native played his collegiate career at Lubbock Christian.
Dias Juliani, a senior forward from São Paulo, Brazil, earned All-GAC second team after he led the Jets with seven goals, including two game-winners, and posted the team's highest shot-on-goal percentage last season.
WT HEAD COACH BUTCH LAUFFER
Butch Lauffer enters his 35th season as head men's soccer coach at West Texas A&M. Lauffer is now the longest tenured head coach in WT history in a storied career dating back to 1991. Lauffer reached the 500-win plateau on Sept. 30, 2017 in Odessa, Texas with a dominating 13-2 win over UT Permian Basin.
During his tenure, Lauffer coached the men to 31 consecutive non-losing seasons from 1993 to 2023 and the women to 12-plus victories in 12 seasons. Lauffer has recorded a 382-178-59 (.665) record at the helm of the Buffs with a 572-245-75 (.683) overall record at WT.
LSC PRESEASON POLL
West Texas A&M was picked fifth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Midwestern State claimed 16 of the possible 33 first place votes for 338 points to sit atop of the poll followed by St. Mary's (13 first place, 331), St. Edward's (three first place, 297), DBU (241), West Texas A&M (239), Lubbock Christian (169), UT Tyler (161), Oklahoma Christian (134), UT Dallas (104), Texas A&M International (one first place, 86) and Sul Ross State (78).
Arthur Souza of St. Edward's was tabbed the league's Preseason Player of the Year while Luke Mulkey and Johnny Thurbin from St. Mary's claimed Defensive and Goalkeeper Preseason Honors.
LIVE COVERAGE
Thursday's contest will be broadcasted on the MIAA Network. Fans have two different subscription options: $35 per month or $140 per year.
