SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State soccer team returns home looking to extend its two-game winning streak this weekend with games against Texas A&M Commerce at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7Â and against Texas Woman's at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9 for the annual Pink on the Pitch game.
The Belles (7-2-1, 3-1-0 LSC) are coming back from their first LSC road trip victorious after beating both West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico last weekend with a strong offensive performance that saw them net five goals across the two wins.
"Our finishing was a little bit more precise," ASU head soccer coach Travis McCorkle said. "I've had plenty of talks with the team saying, 'We need more things to go up on the scoreboard and not in the stat sheet,' and so on Friday or Sunday I think you saw an accumulation of that and the work they've put in. "
Leading the attack for the Belles once again was forward Demi Tsambasis, who scored her eighth and ninth goals of the season last weekend and continues to average just under a goal a game this season. Averaging, .90 goals per game, Tsambasis ranks No. 11 in all of Division II and first in the LSC. Her nine total goals are good for 12th in the nation and lead the Lone Star Conference. The senior's perfromance was good enough to earn her LSC Offensive player of the week this week, marking the second time this season Tsambasis has garnered the conference award.
Tsambasis also recorded her first assist of the season against Eastern New Mexico, giving her 19 total points, which is also first in the conference. The California native  has scored often and also early for the Belles, with seven of her nine goals coming in the first 30 minutes of matches.
Freshman Ally Warren also contributed a goal in each game of the road trip, scoring for the first time in her career with the Belles against WT to win the game. Warren scored again against the Greyhounds and sophomore Analise Watson also got her first goal of the season in the matchup with Eastern New Mexico.
Warren's two goals tied her for second on the team with forward Trenadey Scott, who has also scored twice this season. The freshman has 16 shots on the season, five of which are on goal.
Watson also recorded her first assist of the season against the Lady Buffs and later in the game defender Ashley Exford assisted her first goal of the season as well. Morgan Sibson got her second assist of the season on the goal from Tsambasis against ENMU and later in the game defender Shay Williams got her team-leading third assist of the season on the goal from Watson. All three of Williams' assists have come off of corner kicks.
Elizabeth Rodriguez has also been creating chances for the Belles, getting off four shots with three on goal last weekend. Her nine shots on goal is second on the team.
The ASU defense continued its strong play on the road as well, allowing just one goal in the two games. The back line, which includes Lauren Perry, Ashley Exford, Shay Williams, Molly Warren, Callie Smith and Kylie Deel held the Lady Buffs to just five total shots on goal Friday night. The defense was even stronger Sunday, forcing goalkeeper Sammy Cude to make just one save on the afternoon. The defensive performance from Exford earned her the LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors for her second time this season.Â
Cude earned the win in both matchups, bringing her overall record to 6-2-1. The freshman has allowed just four goals on the season for a goals against average of .414, which ranks No. 12 in the nation and first in the conference. The California native has made 29 saves this season with a save percentage of .879 and five shutouts.
Texas A&M Commerce comes into the matchup with a 6-3 overall record and a 3-1 showing in LSC play. The Lions and Belles matchups have been tense throughout the last five years, as ASU has gone 7-7-1 against TAMUC since 2010. The Lions have won the last five matchups between the two teams, but the Belles had won five straight prior to that.
Texas Woman's started off the 2016 season hot, winning its first four matches, but has since dropped to 5-4 with a 1-3 record in conference play.
Currently, the Belles are tied with Midwestern State and Texas A&M Commerce for first in the LSC.
"I think that we should be in the hunt for the championship," McCorkle said. "It's going to come down to how we can maneuver our younger players because we do have some injuries. These are really important games for us this weekend, and it'll be a good measuring stick for where we are against top teams in the conference."
