TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler women's soccer team is set to kick off their 20^th season in program history this week with matches scheduled at home against Harding on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. and on the road against LSU-Alexandria on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
 
The first of those two contests will serve as the home opener for the Patriots on Thursday evening against Harding, and will kick-off the squad's four non-conference games of the 2021 season. The match will also stand as the program's inaugural Youth Day, during which youth soccer clubs from across the East Texas Region will be recognized in support of the Patriots.
 
A NEW SEASON, NOT A NEW YEAR
 
The Patriots offseason proved to be much shorter than any other offseason in the program's history, as the 2020 season for UT Tyler was pushed back to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UT Tyler finished up the mandatory three-year transition period into NCAA Division II status during that spring slate of games, as the Lone Star Conference successfully completed the women's soccer season during the spring semester.
 
Head coach Stefani Webb's squad used the unique nine game schedule for a variety of purposes as the final transition year was completed, and earned the opportunity to compete in the program's first ever LSC Women's Soccer Championships tournament due to the season being pushed back. The Patriots finished their campaign with a 2-7 record, included a 1-0 victory over Division I foe Stephen F. Austin back on Feb. 5, and used the slate of contests to build the foundation for the upcoming fall semester.
 
FOUNDATION BUILT, NOW LET'S PROVE IT
 
Coach Webb and her program will now look to officially return to the program's storied winning ways that they experienced throughout the Division III era, as full-fledged Division II members in 2021-22. The program has produced a 203-92-20 all-time record in 19 seasons of competition, 16 of which have been under the direction of coach Webb.
 
The Patriots qualified for the Division III National Tournament in 2014 and 2015 and won 10 or more games in every season under the direction of Webb from 2005-2018. The message for the squad heading into this weekend's set of openers has been clear, that it is up to the 2021 version of the Patriots to prove that the success of the program can immediately translate to the Division II level beginning this season.
 
RETURNING VETERANS
 
Coach Webb will lean on a solid core of veterans that have been able to mesh during the transition period for the institution, and will surely be eager to return to the pitch in 2021 with postseason aspirations in mind. Senior Priscilla Rincon will highlight the group of returners for the Patriots heading into this weekend after earning All-Lone Star Conference honors following the 2021 spring schedule earlier this year. Landri Edwards, Kiersten Ehler and Sarah Flannelly will return to the team this fall having each netted a goal during the spring season.
 
Keeper Camri Cecil will return for the squad with postseason accolades from earlier in her career, as she was named an All-Lone Star Conference pick following the 2019 season for UT Tyler, the first year the program competed in a Lone Star Conference schedule.  
 
TALENTED CROP OF NEWCOMERS
 
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequential cancellation of the fall schedule of competition allowed coach Webb and her staff an extended amount of time to evaluate and improve the roster heading into the 2021 campaign. The results of that assessment have been tremendous, as a balanced mix of incoming freshman, as well as transfers, will look to add some spark to the returning group in 2021.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE POLL
 
UT Tyler came in at no. 11 in the 2021 LSC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll with 162 votes, matching the squads relative finish in the league standings following the completion of the 2021 spring schedule. Two-time defending regular season LSC champions DBU enter the fall as presumptive favorites to claim their third consecutive regular season crown, while Angelo State claimed the second spot in the preseason poll.
 
DBU will enter the 2021 season ranked no. 7 in the 2021 United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll while Angelo State came in at no. 3.
 
The preseason selection for the Patriots will simply not be indicative of the potential of the 2021 roster for coach Webb and company, as the experienced talent and incoming potential for the squad will make the Patriots a difficult win for any team this fall.
 
WEBB'S WARRIORS
 
Head coach Stefani Webb will enter her 17^th season at the helm of the UT Tyler women's soccer program this weekend, and her 25^th season overall as a head coach at the collegiate level. She has amassed an overall record of 185-77-19 during her 16 seasons as head coach of the Patriots, and has mentored 89 All-Conference selections, 22 All-Region honorees and two All-Americans during her career as head coach.
 
SCOUTING THE BISONS
 
The Bisons posted a record of 2-3-2 during the 2021 spring schedule earlier this season, and were eliminated in the opening round of the Great American Conference Tournament by way of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of East Central. Sophomore Briley-Anne Brown, a 2021 First Team All-GAC selection, will highlight the returners for the Bisons in 2021 after scoring a pair of goals in her four games played during the spring schedule. Senior Parker Smitherman will also return to the team as a Second Team All-GAC pick from last season.
 
Harding will once again be under the leadership of Dr. Greg Harris, who like Webb for the Patriots, has developed the program into one that expects to compete amongst the elite in their respective conferences. Harris has been the head coach at Harding for 20 seasons and has directed the program to 14 postseason appearances.
 
SCOUTING THE GENERALS
 
LSU-Alexandria will enter Saturday's match against UT Tyler having already competed in 2021, an 8-0 victory on Aug. 28 against Central Baptist College. The Generals went 5-5-1 in their spring schedule, and return 44 of the team's 46 points from the 2021 season.
 
The trio of Sophie Borhi, Andressa Araujo and Jordan Thibodeaux tallied 16 of the 18 goals scored for the Generals in the spring season, and have all returned to the pitch for new head coach Harrison Houle in 2021.