In the opening week of conference play, six Lone Star Conference teams were unbeaten, and Lubbock Christian was left as the only undefeated team in 2021. St. Mary's earned a 2-1 win over No. 12 Angelo State and picked up a win over Texas Woman's to go 2-0. Seventeenth-ranked DBU also went 2-0, scoring 11 goals combined in the wins. Oklahoma Christian and Lubbock Christian both went 1-0-1, sharing the points in their conference-opening matchup before picking up wins on Saturday. Midwestern State and St. Edward's played to a 1-1 draw in Wichita Falls in their lone match of the week.
LSC women’s soccer teams are 46-36-9 this season and 15-13-3 against the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the other conference in the South Central Region.
LSC schedule and results are available here:
https://lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=wsoc
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M, SR, Sports Management, F, Farmington, N.M., Farmington HS
Kelley-Lusk had another impressive week for West Texas A&M as the senior forward scored five goals and two assists as the Lady Buffs split the opening two games of Lone Star Conference play. After scoring two goals and an assist in their 6-0 win over UT Permian on Wednesday, the Farmington, N.M. made history on Saturday against No. 17 DBU. She became just the third Lady Buff in program history to record multiple hat tricks in a career after scoring twice in the first half and adding a third in the second before the Lady Buffs dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker to the Patriots.
DEFENSIVE
Megan Copeland, St. Mary's, SR, Psychology, DEF, San Antonio, Texas, Johnson HS
Copeland led a Rattlers' defense that only allowed one goal in two matches against No. 12 Angelo State and Texas Woman's this past week. Copeland has been a bastion for St. Mary's, shutting down passing lanes and eliminating clean shots on frame. Her defensive efforts were crucial in the Rattlers' 2-1 win over ASU. Copeland has also contributed offensively, scoring the game-winning goal, her second of the season, against TWU on Saturday afternoon.
GOALKEEPER
Rebecca Difronzo, St. Mary's, FR, Business, GK, Bari, Italy, Liceo Scientifico Statale Arcangelo Scacchi
Difronzo had a sensational week between the posts for the Rattlers, going 2-0-0 while allowing just one goal in 180 minutes of action. The freshman made 12 saves over the two matches, including five in StMU's 2-1 win over No. 12 Angelo State. The freshman made seven saves against Texas Woman's in a 2-0 shutout to close the week. Difronzo has two shutouts in 2021 and ranks third in the LSC with an .882 save percentage in her first collegiate season.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
S-6 Abigail Olmos, DBU
S-13 Avery McNeme, Angelo State
S-20 Juni Ejere, St. Mary’s
S-27 Hannah Kelley-Lusk, West Texas A&M
Defensive
S-6 Blythe Obar, DBU
S-13 Maliyah Mendoza, West Texas A&M
S-20 Sarah Avant, St. Edward’s
S-27 Megan Copeland, St. Mary’s
Goalkeeper
S-6 Kira Miller, Angelo State
S-13 Reagan Heelan, West Texas A&M
S-20 Abby Carlson, St. Edward’s
S-27 Rebecca Difronzo, St. Mary's
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Delaney Schmidt, DBU, produced three goals in a pair of wins for the 17th ranked Patriots last week. Following a goal in a 6-2 win over Texas A&M-Commerce, Schmidt produced a two-goal performance in a 5-4 win at West Texas A&M Saturday afternoon in Canyon, Texas. The fifth-year forward headed in the first and last goal in a comeback win that kept the Patriots undefeated in conference, a streak that dates back to 2019. Her game-winning header in the 86th minute arrived on a corner kick from Summerlyn Heller as Schmidt moved to No. 4 on DBU's all-time scoring list, netting her 34th career goal.
Karalie Morrison, Texas A&M-Commerce, scored a hat-trick in Saturday's win for the Lions over UT Permian Basin. She converted three of her five shots on goal and recorded just the seventh hat-trick in program history. Morrison had three shots, including two on goal on Wednesday at DBU. The freshman is second in the LSC with 13 shots on goal, third with 23 total shots, tied for second with four goals and tied for third with 10 points.
Juni Ejere, St. Mary’s, added two more goals to her season total after registering scores against Angelo State and Texas Woman's University. Ejere helped the Rattlers take down undefeated Angelo State at home by scoring the first goal of the match. The junior also found the back of the net against the Pioneers on Saturday in a 2-0 win, bringing her season total to four goals so far.
Valerie Solis, Angelo State, proved to be the difference-maker for the Belles in their first conference win against Eastern New Mexico. After a penalty was given for a handball in the Greyhounds area, the junior calmly stepped up and slotted away the only goal in the Belles' 1-0 win, her first goal of the season.
Makenna Pate, Lubbock Christian, took five shots across the weekend as Lubbock Christian went 1-0-1, two of which were on goal. She netted the game-winner in LCU's win against Texas A&M-International, her second game-winner of the season. She is tied for the team lead with eight points.
Vanessa Bart, UT Tyler, scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute to push UT Tyler to a 2-1 win over Texas A&M International on Wednesday afternoon. Bart's goal came from a tight angle, deep in the Dustdevil box, and found the back of the net to give the Patriots their first Lone Star Conference win of the year. She finished the week tied for the team lead with five shots between Wednesday's win and a 2-1 overtime loss against Oklahoma Christian on Saturday.
Gracie Cornelius, Oklahoma Christian, ripped a shot from 30 yards out that perfectly curved over the outstretched arms of UT Tyler goalkeeper Camri Cecil and into the net in an overtime win over the Patriots on Saturday. The golden goal snapped an eight-game winless streak for the Eagles. It was Cornelius’ third career goal.
Avery Jennings, Lubbock Christian, played in both games as Lubbock Christian went 1-0-1, allowing just one goal in the two games combined while notching the first two assists of her collegiate career. LCU shut out Oklahoma Christian in their LSC opener, with Jennings playing 69 minutes off the bench. Then against Texas A&M-International, she assisted both the game-winner and LCU's second-half insurance goal while helping hold the Dustdevils to just one goal.
Brooklyn Fink, Oklahoma Christian, played a vital role on both ends of the field during a week in which OC posted a road shutout against Lubbock Christian, then beat Texas-Tyler for the first time in four meetings. On Wednesday, Fink – OC's center back – led a defensive unit that limited LCU to four shots on goal over 110 minutes during a scoreless draw – only the second time OC ever had earned so much as a draw against the Chaparrals in 13 meetings. It also was OC's first shutout since the 2019 season finale. Three days later, Fink scored her first goal for OC in the 20th minute against Texas-Tyler in a game the Eagles eventually won 2-1 in overtime.
Cassidy Hill, Angelo State, played the full 90 minutes for the Belles in their two matches last week. Against St. Mary's, Hill and the Belles defense only allowed nine shots, and against Eastern New Mexico, the Belles only conceded a single shot, which was off target.
Priscilla Rincon, UT Tyler, recorded her first goal of the season on Saturday afternoon, an equalizer in the 85th minute to send the Patriots to overtime against Oklahoma Christian. She also stepped up in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Texas A&M International, captaining a defensive backline that allowed just five shot on goal attempts to the Dustdevils. The lone defensive blemish in that match came by way of a penalty kick goal.
Cora Welch, Texas A&M-Commerce, captained the back line that posted a clean sheet against UT Permian Basin on Saturday. The Lions allowed just three shots in the match, including just one in the second half. She played all 180 minutes this past weekend against DBU and UT Permian Basin.
Gabby Goddard, Oklahoma Christian, put together a pair of stellar performances as the Eagles opened LSC play with a win and a draw. In a 0-0 draw at Lubbock Christian, she made four saves and recorded her third career shutout. It was the second time OC ever had earned so much as a draw against the Lady Chaparrals in 13 meetings. Against UT Tyler on Saturday, she made seven saves during OC's 2-1 overtime win, which was the Eagles' first victory over the Patriots in four overall meetings.
Hannah Wise, Lubbock Christian, allowed just one goal in 200 minutes of play. She earned her first shutout in the tie against Oklahoma Christian, making four saves for the clean sheet. The Midlothian native also made four saves in the win against Texas A&M-International, which LCU won 3-1.