LeTourneau University – Sports

 

Varney Carter, Zachariah Malik, and Alec Weir Named To ASC Men’s Soccer Players To Watch List; LET Picked 11th in Preseason Poll

RICHARDSON, Texas – LeTourneau University men’s soccer senior forward Alec Wier along with junior defender Zachariah Malik and sophomore forward Varney Carter were named to the 2018 American Southwest Conference “Players To Watch” list as the YellowJackets have been picked to finish 11th in the ASC preseason poll following a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the ASC office announced Thursday (August 16).

In total, LETU received 93 points in the poll as last year’s ASC champion Mary Hardin-Baylor recorded 298 points and 19 out of a possible 26 first-place votes in claiming its first conference title. Texas-Dallas came in second in the ASC preseason poll with 275 points and received five first-place votes followed by Concordia Texas (226 points), Hardin-Simmons (216 points, one first-place vote), and McMurry (194 points) rounding out the top-five. Trailing the War Hawks was Ozarks with 181 points and one first-place vote followed by Belhaven (125 points), Sul Ross State (120 points), East Texas Baptist (113 points), and Howard Payne with 108 points. Louisiana College (53 points) and Texas-Tyler (N/A) rounded out the 13-team poll.

Both Belhaven and UT-Tyler will be ineligible for the 2018 ASC Championship and NCAA Tournament as the Blazers are still in the NCAA Division III Provisional Period while the Patriots are set to exit the ASC following this year as part of their three-year NCAA Division II Reclassification.

Weir was a 2017 third-team All-ASC selection after starting 14 games and tying for the team lead in goals (4) and points (8). In his first three years with the YellowJackets, Weir has appeared in 47 total games while starting in every game he has played.

Malik will enter his junior season after appearing in 15 games and starting six a year ago, scoring one goal at McMurry. The Austin, Texas native has scored five goals and recorded two assists in his two years at LETU while starting 22 games.

Carter appeared in 16 games last season and started six, scoring one goal and assisting on one goal. A native of Temple, Texas, Carter took a total of 16 shots a year ago with five shots coming on goal.

LeTourneau will kick off the 2018 campaign at home on Friday, August 31 at 4 p.m. when they take on Schreiner University.

Matt Kinney
Sports Information Director
Office: 903-233-3735

 

LeTourneau YellowJacket Women’s Soccer Picked Sixth In ASC Preseason Poll

RICHARDSON, Texas – Tallying a total of 160 points, the LeTourneau University women’s soccer team has been picked to finish sixth in the 2018 American Southwest Conference after a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. YellowJacket players Keely Hayden, Jennifer Martin, and Kelli Sonnier were all named to the players to watch list.

Hardin-Simmons (23-1-0 / 12-0 ASC) received 311 points to be picked to win the conference in the preseason poll and recorded 25 out of a possible 26 first-place votes. Led by the reigning United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III West Region Coaching Staff of the Year and head coach Marcus Wood, the Cowgirls won their 15th consecutive ASC championship in 2017 and made their second NCAA Division III Final Four appearance in school history. HSU was ranked fourth in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll.

Following HSU was the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (16-4-1 / 10-1-1 ASC) who came in second with 281 points in the preseason poll and picked up one first-place vote after finishing ASC runner-up in both the regular-season postseason tournament a year ago. The University of Texas at Dallas was picked third with 258 points followed by East Texas Baptist University (225 points) and Sul Ross State in fifth-place with 185 points. After LeTourneau, Concordia University Texas was picked seventh with 150 points followed by Howard Payne (123 points), the University of the Ozarks (97 points), McMurry University (96 points), Belhaven University (57 points), Louisiana College (46 points), and the University of Texas at Tyler (N/A). The Blazers are entering their final year of NCAA Division III provisional membership and are ineligible for the 2018 ASC Championship and NCAA Division III postseason play while the Patriots are ineligible for the 2018 ASC Championship and NCAA Division III postseason play after being admitted for NCAA Division II reclassification.

Hayden enters her senior year after appearing in 19 games and starting 15 while adding three goals and one assist. The Alvin, Texas native was a second-team All-ASC pick as a freshman and has appeared in 48 games during her career at LETU.

A third team All-ASC selection as a freshman last year, Martin led the YellowJackets with 14 points while taking a team-high 49 shots. The Allen, TX native scored one game-winning goal and appeared in 16 games while setting an ASC record by scoring the fastest goal to start a game in conference history (17 seconds at Texas Lutheran).

Sonnier was selected as a first-team All-ASC pick after scoring a team-high six goals and a total of 12 points. The Lake Charles, LA native appeared in all 19 games last year and started 15.

39 student-athletes were named to the ASC Women’s Soccer Players to Watch List. The list is composed of up to three players from each institution nominated by the head coaches. 30 of the players submitted are returning all-conference selections including four award winners.

The 2018 season will get underway Friday, August. 31 as eight ASC teams take the field in their season opener.

The ASC Championship Tournament is scheduled for Oct. 30, Nov. 2 and 4. The quarterfinals will be hosted by the top four seeds with the semifinals and championship game at the overall No. 1 seed. An automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship will be on the line.

Matt Kinney
Sports Information Director
Office: 903-233-3735