LeTourneau University – Sports

MEN’S SOCCER

KERRVILLE, Texas – LeTourneau University Men’s Soccer falls to Schreiner University 1-0 in the second game of opening weekend despite an evenly matched pitch.

“Tough match!” Coach Matthew Haesecke reported after the game. “We were evenly matched teams. We played significantly better than yesterday. The heat affected our play in the second half, but I think we have taken a positive step forward. Lost on a late, very controversial penalty.”

The YellowJackets fought hard, but an unfortunate call in the box led to a penalty kick. Despite a valiant effort by goalkeeper Miguel Cabrera, the Mountaineers were able to capitalize on the opportunity.

The YellowJacket defense proved to be a struggle as they drew the Mountaineers offsides five times throughout the match. Additionally, LETU limited Schreiner to only four shots on goal while feeding the ball to the LeTourneau offense who would post three shots on goal.

The YellowJackets are now 0-2 on the season but will look to improve their record in their first home match of the season against Southwestern Assemblies of God University on September 5 at 7:00 P.M. at the Joyce Family Athletic Village on the campus of LeTourneau University.

SEGUIN, Texas – Following 90 minutes of scoreless action, the LeTourneau University men’s soccer team could not withstand an early shot in overtime that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 road loss to Texas Lutheran University at Gustafson Field in Seguin on Friday, September 1.

LeTourneau drops their season opener to fall to 0-1 while the host Bulldogs improved to 1-0. Dating back to last season, LETU is winless in five straight overtime games with their last win in extra time coming against Texas Lutheran to open the season last year (1-0).

An up and down pace to the game would see TLU fire off eight shots in the first 45 minutes of play but be held to just two shots on goal in the opening frame. The YellowJackets would get off four shots in the first period and put two on goal thanks in part to a Texas Lutheran red card in the 41st minute that would see the Bulldogs have to play the majority of the game down a man.

Things would take on a similar feel in the second half with both teams putting up seven shots, but goalies Miguel Cabrera for LETU and Brendan Soto for TLU turning away a combined five shots on goal to send the game to extra time. In spare time, Cole Welker would throw a pass down the left side to David Ching would beat Cabrera to the near post to send in the game winner and end things just 1:07 into the extra period.

Statistically, Texas Lutheran would outshoot LeTourneau 16-11 and hold a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks with all three Bulldog corner kicks coming in the first half. Each team was guilty of 12 fouls with TLU receiving three total cards (one red, two yellow) and LETU receiving one yellow card.

Sophomore Zachariah Malik led the team with three shots (one on goal) while Edgar Sanchez and Eduardo Barron each had two shots. Cabrera would play all 91:07 between the pipes and make a total of four saves.

A quick turnaround will see the YellowJackets hit the field again tomorrow in Kerrville, Texas where they will take on Schreiner University at 3:00 pm. The Mountaineers were victorious by a score of 1-0 over East Texas Baptist in their season opener on Friday.

 

WOMEN’S SOCCER

KERRVILLE, TEXAS – The LeTourneau University YellowJackets defeated the Schreiner Mountaineers 1-0 to sweep opening weekend and improve to 2-0. This season is the second year in a row the YellowJackets have started the season 2-0 – a first for the LeTourneau Women’s Soccer program.

“This was a great team win,” said Coach John Antonisse who is starting his fourth season leading the YellowJackets. “Everyone contributed to this victory. We weathered the first half wave of Schreiner’s attacks and slowly improved our play through the second half. Our goal came late from Kat Baker, and we managed the outcome to the end.”

The only goal of the game would come in the 84th minute when junior Keely Hayden found freshman Katherine Baker. Baker would locate the back of the net to earn her second goal of the season and second game-winner.

The Mountaineers outshot the YellowJackets in the first half six to four. However, in the second half, LeTourneau tipped the scales and got off five shots to Schreiner’s two.

The YellowJackets will be back in action on Tuesday, September 5, when they take on the Lions of Southwestern Assemblies of God University at 5″00 P.M. at the Joyce Family Athletic Village on the campus of LeTourneau University.

SEGUIN, Texas – The LeTourneau University women’s soccer defeated the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs 3-1 in the 2017 season opener, scoring twice in the first half and adding a third goal just two minutes into the second half.

This season is the third time in four years the YellowJackets (1-0) have opened the season with a win, which included a 2-1 season opening win over the Bulldogs (0-1) last year.

Goal number one came a mere 17 seconds into the match as freshman Jennifer Martin would score her first collegiate goal to put LETU up 1-0. Katherine Baker would double the lead at 2-0 in the 35th minute as freshman Madison Urbana had a shot that ricocheted and found the foot of her freshman teammate who put one in the back of the net. A 2-0 YellowJacket lead would have LeTourneau in high spirits heading into the half, looking to put the game away early in the second half.

A third goal would be had by the YellowJackets just two minutes into the second half when Bari Schunicht found the ball off of a second assist by Baker to extend the lead to 3-0 and put LETU in full control.

Texas Lutheran would strike back with a goal by Jaclyn Smolik in the 89th minute with Tanya Pazeline getting the assist.

Other notable performances include Sarah Harder who led the defense alongside Carrye Funk who recorded six saves in goal.

The YellowJackets had ten shots on goal compared to the Bulldogs 7 despite being outshot by a total of 14-12. Each team would get one corner kick as LETU would be the aggressors and commit nine total fouls.

LeTourneau University continues their season opening weekend road trip tomorrow, September 2, against Schreiner University in Kerrville, TX at 1:00 pm.

CROSS COUNTRY

TYLER, Texas – Freshman Kirstiana Welch led the LeTourneau women’s cross country team with a sixth-place individual finish while junior Michael Field finished 15th to lead the YellowJacket men at the King Campbell Spectacular on the campus of the University of Texas-Tyler on Friday, September 1.

No one kept scores for teams during the meet.

Welch finished the two-mile race with a time of 13:50 to record a top-10 finish, just 48 seconds off the winning time by Rachel Willis of UT-Tyler. Brittany Bergman finished 17th followed by Allison Fuller(26th), Bridey Davis (36th) and Olivia Stine (43rd) in a meet that featured eight schools.

On the men’s side, Field would post a time of 11:07 on the two-mile course with Wesley Anderson coming in 18th with a time of 11:22. Austin Coblentz (23rd) and Nathan Glastetter (24th) would give the YellowJacket men four finishers in the top 25 followed by Nathanael Wendel (27th), Daniel Lopez(28th), and Ben Duitsman (43rd).

Tomorrow will see LETU host their only home cross country meet of the year with the R.G. LeTourneau Cross Country Invitational taking place on the LeTourneau University campus starting at 8 a.m. The women will begin the meet with a 5K followed by the men’s 5K at 8:30 am before the ETCS Backwoods Gallop high school meet runs with a start at 9:00 am.

Volleyball

JACKSON, MISS. – LeTourneau University finished up their opening weekend of competition, and the volleyball team swept LaGrange University in straight sets before falling to host college Millsaps in four sets at the Millsaps Invitational at the Hangar Dome in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday, September 2.

The YellowJackets remain at .500 on the year at 2-2 overall following the tournament, winning one match on both Friday and Saturday.

Statistics for the LaGrange match are currently unavailable, with scores of the Millsaps match being 23-25, 26-28, 25-23, 13-25.

The Majors would outhit the YellowJackets .239-.173 in the game despite LETU recording seven blocks to only five for Millsaps. Individually, senior Korissa White would have a monster game with 27 assists and 14 digs to go along with four service aces while Cam Taylor would collect 15 assists. Liz Williams would lead the YellowJackets with 19 digs while Hailey Matthews (12) and Lauren Egy-McNeal were the only two YellowJackets with double-digit kills.

LeTourneau will have the week off before heading north to Sherman, Texas to take place in the Austin College Invitational September 8th and 9th. The YellowJackets will see familiar opponents in the University of Dallas and conference foe Concordia Texas while also taking on Occidental College and host Austin College in the two-day tournament.

Matt Kinney
Sports Information Director