CANYON, TEXAS – West Texas A&M Men's Soccer (4-7-4, 1-2-4 LSC) eye a playoff push in the final weeks of the regular season as they host Sul Ross State on Wednesday, October 21 and travel to St. Mary's on Saturday, October 24. Wednesday's game will kickoff at 5:00 p.m. while Saturday's game is set for 7:00 p.m.
 
Follow the Buffs
Both games will be streamed live on Flo Sports (registration required). Live Stats will be provided by West Texas A&M on Wednesday and then by St. Mary's on Saturday. Tickets for Wednesday's game can be purchased here.
 
Last Time Out
West Texas A&M traveled to Lubbock Christian this past Wednesday prior to hosting Midwestern State.  
 
Buffs Fall 3-1 in Road Match Against Lubbock Christian- October 14, 2026
West Texas A&M would fall behind early in the game as LCU scored in the 12th minute to take a 1-0 lead. LCU was in control of possession for much of the first half as they hindered WT's offensive opportunities. West Texas A&M nearly tied the game in the 32nd minute with a shot by Ben Scotford but it missed just left. The Buffaloes were able to generate three more shots (one on goal) and two corner kicks in remaining portion of the half but were kept off the scoreboard. Defensively, WT held the Chaps to four more shots following their goal as the score was set at 1-0 going into the break.
 
Lubbock Chrisitan quickly tripled their lead out of the break with goals in the 52nd and 56th minute as they now held a 3-0 lead. In the 69th minute, WT would break through with a goal as the score moved to 3-1. Franky Oviedo delivered a free kick into the box where Desire Essis took control. He would pass it to Jonathan Atzmon who finished the chance to put the Buffs on the board. Down in possession, WT would only record two more shots the rest of the way as WT ultimately fell 3-1 to Lubbock Christian.
 
Top Buffs

• Jonathan Atzmon scored his first career goal on his lone shot. He also played 40 minutes in the field.
• Desire Essis recorded his first point of the season with an assist in his 24 minutes.
• Joe Ballenger played all 90 minutes on defense for the 10th consecutive game.

 
Buffs Draw No. 2 Midwestern State 2-2 After Late Goal by Casas- October 17, 2026
The first half was controlled by MSU as they held possession at 70%. Their offense tested Bryce Cottle early as he made three saves in the opening seven minutes. Oumar Berete registered the Buffs first and only shot in the half as he missed out high. The Mustangs offense applied continuous pressure on the Buffalo defense with 11 shots and two corners in the game, but were kept off the scoreboard thanks to nine first half saves by Cottle. 0-0 would be the score as the teams went into halftime.
 
Out of the break, MSU broke through on a goal in the 55th minute to take a 1-0 lead. That play looked to be offsides, but it was reviewed and upheld to keep the goal on the board. Seven minutes later, WT would respond with a goal of their own to tie the game. On a corner kick, Franky Oviedo placed a ball that got headed by a Mustangs defender. That ball landed on the right foot of Berete who blasted the close shot into the back of the net for the tie. MSU did not take long to retake the lead as they scored in the 68th minute as they now led 2-1. Berete's goal did rejuvenize the Buffalo offense as they were able to maintain possession and create opportunities in their attacking zone. In the 77th minute, WT would be awarded a corner kick which would lead to a scrum in the box. Joe Ballenger had a close shot that nearly went in but would be saved. West Texas A&M maintained possession off the rebound as the ball worked its way to Felix Casas. He maneuvered through multiple defenders and in stride fired a laser off his foot for the equalizing goal. WT's defense held strong in the final minutes to snuff out any chances by MSU. The 2-2 score would hold as the Buffaloes picked up a key conference point against one of the nation's best.
 
Top Buffs

• Felix Casas scored his lone shot for his third goal of the year. He also played 84 minutes in the game. Casas is now up to eight points with three goals and two assists.
• Bryce Cottle tied the program record for saves in a single game with 11. He is the third Buff to tie that record of 11 saves joining Paul Hart (x2 in 2003) and Shawn Carr (2011).
• Oumar Berete also scored his third goal of the season and is up to seven points. Berete played 48 minutes and totaled two shots.

 
DJ Spinning Records
Over the past six games, senior D'Jonte Davis has tallied nine of his 10 points with four goals and an assist. Three of his fours goals during that stretch have come in clutch situations with his game-tying goal against UT Dallas and DBU and a game-winner over Fort Hays State.
 
The House of Felix
In 13 games this season, senior Felix Casas has set new career marks in multiple offensive categories. Casas has totaled three goals, two assists, eight points, 20 shots, and 10 shots on goal in his 802 minutes. All of those marks are new single season-highs for the Juarez, Mexico native.
 
Backline Ballers
With two full 90-minute games this past week, defenders Damron Atkins and Joe Ballenger extended their respective streaks of consecutive 90 minutes games to 13 and 11 games. As a freshman, Atkins leads the team in minutes with 1302 while Ballenger is third with 1072.
 
Oh Captain, My Captain
Senior Captain Ben Scotford was listed as part of the strongest XI from Wales in Division II via Full 90 College. Scotford has started all 15 games in the midfield and scored three points from a goal and assist in his 1055 minutes. He is tied for second in shots with 20 and third in shots on goal with eight.
 
The Cottle Farmer
With eight starts in goal, senior Bryce Cottle set a new season-high in saves this past weekend after tallying 17 saves. Cottle tied the single game record for saves with 11 against Midwestern State and is now up to 36 on the season He also posts a 1.40 goals allowed average and with two shutouts.
 
Playoff Push
With three games left in the regular season, West Texas A&M eyes a late season playoff push to reach the postseason. The top six teams in the standings make the conference tournament and the Buffs currently slot in at ninth.
 
The current LSC standings are as follows
1. Midwestern State- 17 points
2. St. Mary's- 16 points
2. Oklahoma Christian- 16 points
4. UT Dallas- 10 points
4. DBU- 10 points
6. Lubbock Christian- 9 points
7. St. Edward's 8 points
7. UT Tyler- 8 points
9. West Texas A&M- 7 points
9. Texas A&M International- 7 points
11. Sul Ross State- 0 points
 
The Buffs remaining games come against Sul Ross State, St. Mary's and St. Edward's. The most likely scenario for WT to reach the playoffs is securing wins against Sul Ross State and St. Edward's.
 
Lubbock Christian has remaining games against Midwestern State and Sul Ross State.
St. Edward's has UT Dallas, DBU, and West Texas A&M left.
UT Tyler will play Oklahoma Christian and UT Dallas.
 
West Texas A&M Statistical Leaders (Amount)

• Points- D'Jonte Davis (10)
• Goals- D'Jonte Davis (4)
• Assists- Felix Casas & D'Jonte Davis (2)
• Game-Winning Goals- Myles Taylor (2)
• Shots on Goal- D'Jonte Davis (11)
• Shots- D'Jonte Davis (24)
• Minutes by a Field Player- Damron Atkins (1302)
• 90 Minute Games by a Field Player- Damron Atkins (13)
• Saves- Bryce Cottle (36)
• Save Percentage- Bryce Cottle (76.6%)
• Goals Allowed Average- Bryce Cottle (1.40)
• Goalkeeper Wins- Bryce Cottle (2)
• Shutouts- Bryce Cottle (2)

 
West Texas A&M Team Statistics (LSC Ranking)

• 10.67 shots per game (10^th) | 4.67 shots on goal per game (8^th)
• 2.80 points per game (10^th) | 1.00 goals per game (10^th) | 0.80 assists per game (8^th)
• 1.73 goals allowed per game (10^th) | 3.47 saves per game (6^th)
• 11.27 fouls per game (8^th) | 4.0 corner kicks per game (9^th)

 (all stats and standings accumulated 10/20/26)
 
Series History
Wednesday's game against Sul Ross State will be the third all-time meeting between the Buffaloes and Lobos with WT trailing the series 0-1-1. The teams faced off last year where they came to a tie in Alpine.
 
Buffaloes Battle to a Scoreless Draw at Sul Ross State- October 29, 2025
The match began with both teams struggling to gain an early advantage. WT was caught offside three times in the first half, highlighting their difficulty in breaking through Sul Ross State's defense. In the 13th minute, WT's Dominic Murphy aimed a shot at the bottom center of the goal, but it was saved by Lobo goalkeeper Benjamin Aviles. The half concluded without any goals, as both goalkeepers, Aviles and Zach Kos of the Buffs, made crucial saves to keep the score level at 0-0.
 
In the second half, WT and Sul Ross State continued their scoreless draw, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net. The Buffs took several shots on goal, including an attempt by Ziv Shlimak in the 56th minute and another by D'Jonte Davis in the 60th minute, both unsuccessful. SRSU's Benjamin Aviles made crucial saves, particularly against Axel Martinez in the 58th minute and Antonio De La Torre in the 76th minute. Each team faced disciplinary actions, with Nathan Bautista receiving a yellow card in the 57th minute, and Sharif Mohammed of the Buffs a yellow card in the 74th minute. Despite multiple chances, the match concluded in a 0-0 stalemate.
 
Zach Kos recorded a shutout with two saves over 90 minutes. Murphy contributed by taking one shot, which was on target. Davis led the team in shots, attempting two but with none on goal. Desire Essis added pressure with one shot on target.
 
Saturday's match against St. Mary's will be game 36 between the two programs with WT leading the series 22-7-6. The Buffs have a current unbeaten streak of three games over the Rattlers with a win last season.
 
Buffs Top St. Mary's in the Regular Season Home Finale, 2-1- November 1, 2025
The match opened with a quick pace as St. Mary's took an early lead in the 9th minute through a goal by Gael Gallegos, capitalizing on a save by the Buffs' goalkeeper Zach Kos. West Texas A&M responded with a leveling goal in the 26th minute when D'Jonte Davis found the net, making it 1-1. The home team pulled ahead just before halftime as Felix Casas scored in the 41st minute with an assist from Axel Martinez, giving the Buffs a 2-1 lead at the break. Kos was pivotal in maintaining the lead, making multiple saves, including two crucial stops against Cooper Stephens.
 
West Texas A&M and St. Mary's resumed play with the Buffs holding a 2-1 lead at the start of the second half. The half was marked by defensive efforts from both sides, with Kos making crucial saves, including a stop against Ricky Alvarez in the 53rd minute and Ryan Guillaume in the 81st minute. St. Mary's faced challenges maintaining discipline, as several players were called offside and committed fouls, including Pau Mateu Deya in the 88th minute. A significant moment occurred in the 67th minute when Martinez received a yellow card followed by a red card, leaving his team a player down for the remainder of the match. Despite several attempts from both teams, no goals were scored in the second half, with the Buffs maintaining their lead to finish the game.
 
Kos made nine saves, securing a strong defensive effort. Davis contributed a goal and led with two shots. Casas netted the game-winning goal with his only shot of the match. Martinez provided an assist, enhancing the team's offensive opportunities.
 
Scouting Sul Ross State
The Sul Ross State University Lobos come into this match holding an 0-13 record with an 0-7 mark in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and have scored two goals on the year. The Lobos are coming off a 2025 season where they went 5-5-7 with a 2-3-5 record in the LSC as they finished eighth in the standings. SRSU came into this season projected to finish 10th in the LSC Preseason Poll.
 
Sul Ross State Statistical Leaders (Amount)

• Points- Yannick Hategekimana & Cameron Rothgeb (2)
• Goals- Yannick Hategekimana & Cameron Rothgeb (1)
• Assists- Christian Martinez & Marlon Meda (1)
• Game-Winning Goals- N/A
• Shots on Goal- Leo Sanchez (4)
• Shots- Aldo Gomez (10)
• Minutes by a Field Player- Mohammed Aljishi (1076)
• 90 Minute Games by a Field Player- Mohamed Aljishi & Marlon Meda (8)
• Saves- Fernando Hernandez (63)
• Save Percentage- Fernando Hernandez (67.7%)
• Goals Allowed Average- Matthew Martinez (3.88)
• Goalkeeper Wins- N/A
• Shutouts- N/A

 
Sul Ross State Team Statistics (LSC Ranking)

• 5.15 shots per game (11^th) | 1.62 shots on goal per game (11^th)
• 0.46 points per game (11^th) | .15 goals per game (11^th) | 0.15 assists per game (11^th)
• 4.15 goals allowed per game (11^th) | 7.77 saves per game (1^st)
• 9.62 fouls per game (5^th) | 2.0 corner kicks per game (11^th)

Scouting St. Mary's
The St. Mary's University Rattlers come into this game with a 9-4-1 record and a 5-1-1 mark in the LSC. They have beaten Lubbock Christian, Sul Ross State, St. Edward's, UT Tyler, and Texas A&M International while tying UT Dallas. They are seeded second in the conference standings. The Rattlers are coming off a 2025 season where they produced a 3-8-6 record and finished 10th in the conference after going 2-7-1. STMU came into this season projected to finish eighth in the LSC Preseason Poll.
 
St. Mary's Statistical Leaders (Amount)

• Points- Sebastian Poblete (16)
• Goals- Sebastian Poblete (7)
• Assists- Kai Louviere & Filipe Bastos (4)
• Game-Winning Goals- Sebastian Poblete (5)
• Shots on Goal- Sebastian Poblete (16)
• Shots- Kai Louviere (37)
• Minutes by a Field Player- Pape Gueye (1180)
• 90 Minute Games by a Field Player- Pape Gueye (1180)
• Saves- Nichita Misac (36)
• Save Percentage- Nichita Misac (75.0%)
• Goals Allowed Average- Nichita Misac (0.87)
• Goalkeeper Wins- Nichita Misac (9)
• Shutouts- Nichita Misac (4)

St. Mary's Team Statistics (LSC Ranking)

• 14.86 shots per game (2^nd) | 6.79 shots on goal per game (3^rd)
• 6.36 points per game (2^nd) | 2.07 goals per game (2^nd) | 2.21 assists per game (2^nd)
• 0.93 goals allowed per game (4^th) | 2.64 saves per game (11^th)
• 8.07 fouls per game (1^st) | 6.50 corner kicks per game (1^st)

 
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