TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler women's soccer team will take on St. Edward's in a 4 p.m. afternoon road contest and Midwestern State in a 2 p.m. home match for this week's Lone Star Conference action.
 
The Patriots are 4-8 on the season and 2-7 in Lone Star Conference play with four regular season matches remaining on the 2021 schedule. UT Tyler enters this week eight points back of seventh place in the LSC standings with six points on the year, making this week's pair of matches essentially must wins if the Patriots hope to qualify into one of seven spots available for the 2021 LSC Women's Soccer Championships on Nov. 9-14.
 
Saturday's home match against Midwestern State will see the Patriots host a pair of celebrations as The University of Texas at Tyler celebrates 50 years as an institution and the program hosts it's annual Kick Cancer Pink Out Night.
 
A LOOK BACK
 
UT Tyler nearly took down a Texas Woman's squad that currently sits second in the Lone Star Conference standings last Wednesday night in the most recent home action for the Patriots. Freshman Vanessa Bart rattled the post with a world-class strike with less than two minutes remaining of the first overtime period in what was a near upset for UT Tyler after forcing overtime against one of the LSC's best.
 
Sophomore Jordan Colbert scored her fifth goal of the season in the 75^th minute to set the stage for that thrilling overtime period for the two teams on what was her third penalty kick goal in as many matches. Colbert earned the opportunity after sophomore Alexa Hernandez was fouled inside the Pioneer box to give UT Tyler the chance to even up the 1-0 contest.
 
Colbert converted the opportunity to cap off what was a revitalized Patriot attack after surrendering a penalty kick goal of their own in the 24^th minute to break the scoreless tie. Bart's chance in the late stages of the first overtime period was immediately countered by the Pioneers with a scoring chance that they were able to capitalize on to win the match by a 2-1 final with 37 seconds remaining in the first overtime period.
 
Saturday's 2-0 defeat on the road at Angelo State was a result of an early and late goal for the Rambelles as they scored in the fifth and 81^st minutes to stay third in the LSC standings.
 
THIS WEEK
 
One would assume that after a week taking on the second and third place teams in the league standings that the Patriots would be due for a breather heading into the final two weeks of the season. That simply is not the case as St. Edward's and Midwestern State, who ironically sit fifth and fourth in the league standings, are due up for a Patriots squad looking to snap a five-game losing skid.
 
St. Edward's has totaled 16 points in league play with a 5-3-1 record, but will be coming off of back-to-back losses against West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Commerce entering Wednesday's match with the Patriots. Midwestern State sits fourth in the league standings with 18 points and a 5-1-3 mark in league play, but have been vulnerable in league play with 0-0 and 2-2 ties to a pair of teams outside the top seven in the standings in Oklahoma Christian and Texas A&M International.
 
STATISTICAL LEADERS FOR THE PATRIOTS
 
As a result of a slew of injuries and a young roster for UT Tyler in 2021-22, only three individuals have appeared and started in all 12 games so far in 2021. Megan Watts, Taylor Dickens and Jordan Colbert are the lone three starters for head coach Stefani Webb that have been available to start in all 12 games so far this season.
 
Watts leads the team with 999 minutes logged, and has been the captain of the back line for UT Tyler all season long. Colbert leads the team with five goals on the year, three of which have come from penalty kick opportunities, and also paces the team with 10 points.
 
Freshman Faith Adje and Brooklyn Robinson both lead the squad with a pair of assists on the year while Adje's 26 shots leads the team.
 
SCOUTING AND HISTORY WITH ST. EDWARD'S
 
UT Tyler will make the program's second trip to Austin on Wednesday afternoon after meeting the Hilltoppers on their home pitch during the team's inaugural year competing in a LSC schedule in 2019. St. Edward's came away with a 2-0 victory in that contest that was suspended with 14:38 remaining in the match due to lightning in the area.
 
Both sides will look for a complete 90 minutes of action in the rematch of the two sides on Wednesday night with St. Edward's entering with a 7-5-2 record on the year. St. Edward's is led by veteran coach Nick Cowell, who entered 2021 as the winningest head coach in NCAA Division II history among active coaches with 432 total wins.
 
The Hilltoppers won 10 or more games in all 14 seasons under Cowell's guidance leading up the 2021 shortened spring campaign due to COVID-19.
 
The 2021 Hilltoppers have dropped three out of their last four matches heading into this week with losses against DBU, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Commerce. The Hilltoppers have beaten just one team ranked in the top seven of the LSC standings, a 1-0 overtime decision against St. Mary;s on Sept. 29^th.
 
Katie Gay and Sarah Preston lead the team with five goals apiece, and have each added an assist to pace the squad with 11 points for the year. St. Edward's is 3-1-1 in matches on their home pitch this season.

SCOUTING AND HISTORY WITH MIDWESTERN STATE
 
Midwestern State has emerged as a surprise 8-3-3 side in 2021 after 2-7-1, 4-12-2 and 2-13-3 records in the last three seasons under head coach Ryan Spence. The Mustangs sit fourth with 18 league points and have suffered just a single defeat in conference play, posting a record of 5-1-3.
 
The Mustangs have allowed just 10 goals in those nine LSC matches, scoring 18 of their own, and have produced four shutouts in conference games.
 
Cassidy Savoy, Randi Heaton and Kelly Cannistra have all totaled five goals for Midwestern State in 2021, while Savoy leads the side with 13 points. Alyssa Salinas will enter this week as the reigning Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
 
This week will be the fourth edition of the all-time series between the two programs, all three of which previous matches have been decided by a one-goal margin. The two teams met twice last season, the second of which came in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Spring LSC Women's Soccer Championships, with both games decided by just a goal in 2-1 and 1-0 decisions.
 
The first match between the two teams came on Nov. 9, 2019 and ended in a 1-1 tie. Saturday will be just the second time Midwestern State has made the trip to East Texas, as the regular season match last spring on Mar. 10 was conducted at the Citizen's 1^st Back-Perkins Soccer Complex.