Bell, Ramirez among six all-Southland honorees for Lion Soccer

 

FRISCO – Six Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer players earned all-Southland Conference recognition on Tuesday morning, including Kaydence Ramirez being named the Newcomer of the Year and Hannah Bell earning the Freshman of the Year and Forward of the Year honors.

Along with Ramirez (Waxahachie) and Bell (Duncanville), Nya Mitchell (Dallas – Mesquite Horn) and Camila Montero (Langham Creek) were named to the first team all-conference, while Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls – Rider) and Melissa Storey (Tyne and Wear, England) made the second team.

The six honorees in the same season are the most for the Lions since the 2017 season. The Lions went 7-1-2 in conference play this season to finish second and play Houston Christian in the first round of the SLC Tournament at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ramirez, a redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama, finished the regular season leading the Southland in goals (10), points (24), and shots (69). She had a scoring streak of seven matches during conference play and had two games in the season in which she scored two goals.

Bell, in her freshman season, totaled nine goals, which is second in the conference, four match-winning goals, which is second in the conference overall and the most during conference play, and recorded 19 points, which tied for third in the conference. She had a scoring streak of six matches as well.

The Lions have now won the conference Freshman of the Year award for the third straight season.

Mitchell played all but three minutes in conference play, with the Lions recording three shutouts and four overall. Playing in the backline, she was part of the defensive unit that was fourth in the SLC in goals against and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week once. It is the second straight season that Mitchell, a sophomore, has earned all-conference honors.

Montero was second in the conference in assists during conference play, appearing in and starting every match. She was part of the unit that was second in the conference in goals scored and finished conference play 10th overall in points.

Shoffit has earned all-conference honors for the second straight season as well. The senior defender played the full 90 minutes of two of the four shutouts for the Lions and was part of the defensive unit that was fourth in the conference in goals against. Her throw-in efforts were impactful throughout the season as she added five assists during conference play, which was second in conference play, and scored a goal.

Storey earned the first all-conference honor of her career in her senior season. They named her to the all-freshman team in her freshman season. She finished conference play ranked seventh in assists (3), match-winning goals (1), and points (7). Storey appeared in 16 matches in the midfield for the Lions and was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week once.

2023 Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference Teams

Player of the Year: Hollie Massey, Lamar

Freshman of the Year: Hannah Bell, A&M-Commerce

Newcomer of the Year: Kaydence Ramirez, A&M-Commerce

Defender of the Year: Arely Alaniz, Lamar 

Midfielder of the Year: Alana Clark, Lamar

Forward of the Year: Hannah Bell, A&M-Commerce

Goalkeeper of the Year: Nicole Panis, Lamar 

Coach of the Year: Nathan Kogut, Lamar

FIRST TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
GK	Nicole Panis3	Lamar	Gr.	Opmeer, Netherlands
DF	Arely Alaniz2	Lamar	Sr.	Deer Park, Texas
DF	Kat Lazor2	HCU	Sr.	Missouri City, Texas
DF	Nya Mitchell2	A&M-Commerce	So.	Dallas, Texas
DF	Kaisa Juvonen4	Lamar	Gr.	Tampere, Finland
MF	Hollie Massey2	Lamar	Gr.	Cheshire, England
MF	Camila Montero	A&M-Commerce	Jr.	Houston, Texas
MF	Kaile Kukaua	McNeese	Jr.	Valencia, California
MF	Alana Clark	Lamar	Sr.	Austin, Texas
FWD	Hannah Bell	A&M-Commerce	Fr.	Dallas, Texas
FWD	Kaydence Ramirez	A&M-Commerce	Rs-Fr.	Waxahachie, Texas
FWD	Isela Ramirez2	Lamar	Jr.	Pflugerville, Texas
FWD	Cariel Ellis2	Lamar	Gr.	Madison, Mississippi

SECOND TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
GK	Jackie Kelly2	McNeese	Jr.	Benicia, California
DF	Mindy Shoffit2	A&M-Commerce	Sr.	Wichita Falls, Texas
DF	Caragan Childs	Lamar	Jr.	Sumrall, Mississippi
DF	Maddie Janolo	Lamar	Gr.	Denton, Texas
DF	Morgan Schooley2	McNeese	Jr.	St. Augustine, Florida
MF	Rachel Loetzer2	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
MF	Mya Guillory4	Southeastern	Sr.	Prairieville, Louisiana
MF	Kiana Kukaua3	McNeese	Sr.	Valencia, California
MF	Alexa Huerta	HCU	So.	Austin, Texas
MF	Melissa Storey	A&M-Commerce	Sr.	Tyne and Wear, England
MF	Trinity Clark2	Lamar	Sr.	Austin, Texas
FWD	Taylor Spitzer	Northwestern State	So.	Allen, Texas
FWD	Sierra Wannamaker3	UIW	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas
FWD	Olivia Rossman	HCU	Fr.	Santa Ana, California
FWD	Magalie Dépôt	McNeese	Sr.	Montreal, Quebec, Canada

² – Two-time All-Southland selection
³ – Three-time All-Southland selection
⁴ – Four-time All-Southland selection

Photo – Tamara Susa

Lion Soccer begins the SLC Tournament against Huskies.

COMMERCE – The postseason is here for the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team, who faces seventh-seeded Houston Christian in the Southland Conference tournament on Wednesday. 

WHO: No. 2 seed A&M-Commerce vs. No. 7 seed Houston Christian

WHERE: Corpus Christi | Dr. Jack Dugan Soccer & Track Stadium

WHEN: Wednesday, November 1 | 4:00 pm

RECORDS: The Lions are 9-6-3 on the season, while the Huskies are 6-10. In conference play, the Lions had a history of 7-1-2 for second place, and HCU placed seventh with a 4-6 record.

WATCH: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/aa53af90-736b-4ffb-91bf-07034f2e3c3c

LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/v/tame/495808 

WHAT’S AT STAKE

A trip to the Southland Tournament Semifinals is on the line. The winner of Wednesday’s match faces either McNeese or Southeastern in the semifinals at 4 pm on Friday.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK’S ACTION

The Lions beat McNeese on the road by a score of 1-0 to secure the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

BELL NAMED FRESHMAN & FORWARD OF THE YEAR

On Tuesday morning, Hannah Bell (Duncanville) was named the Southland Conference Forward and Freshman of the Year. She was second in the conference with nine goals scored and tallied four match-winners in conference play, which was best in the SLC.

The Lions have won the conference Freshman of the Year award for the third year in a row.

RAMIREZ IS THE TOP NEWCOMER IN SLC

Kaydence Ramirez (Waxahachie) was named the SLC Newcomer of the Year on Tuesday morning as well. She finished the season leading the conference in goals, shots, and points.

SIX LIONSAMED TO ALL-SLC TEAMS

Along with Bell and Ramirez on the first team all-Southland, Nya Mitchell (Mesquite Horn) and Camila Montero (Langham Creek) were named to the first team. Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls – Rider) and Melissa Storey (Tyne and Wear, England) made the second team, marking the first time since 2017 that the Lions had six all-conference honors.

HISTORIC STREAKS END AGAINST THE ISLANDERS

The 2-1 loss to A&M-Corpus Christi on October 13 ended numerous streaks for the Lions. Coming into that match, the Lions had won six in a row, the longest winning streak since 2016.

The Lions were 5-0 in conference play, which matched the best start to conference play since 2004 and 1999. 

FIRST LOSE AT HOME IN 2023

The Lions lost their first match at home this season when they fell to A&M-Corpus Christi. The five-match unbeaten streak was the longest to start the season since 2017, in which the Lions won their first nine home matches. 

A&M-Commerce finished with a record of 5-1-2 at home this season.

MCKENZIE HONORED BY THE SLC

Gillian McKenzie (Mesquite Horn) posted a shutout over McNeese last Friday, recording five saves in the 1-0 win. She was selected as the SLC Goalkeeper of the Week as a result, becoming the seventh honoree from A&M-Commerce this season.

They named Ramirez SLC Offensive Player of the Week twice, Sophia Dean (Spring – Grand Oaks) has been named Goalkeeper of the Week twice, Mitchell was named Defensive Player of the Week once, and Storey was named Offensive Player of the Week once as well.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Date	Goalkeeper	Defensive	Offensive
Aug. 22	Makenzie Hall, UIW	Eve Clarkson, UIW	Kelsey Fuller, Southeastern
Aug. 29	Sophia Dean, A&M-Commerce	Ellie-Mae Sanford, UIW	Kaydence Ramirez, A&M-Commerce
Sept. 5	Kennedy Stelling, A&M-Corpus Christi	Lauren Andre, Nicholls	Maggie Murray, A&M-Corpus Christi
Sept. 12	Libe Banuelos, Northwestern State	Rachel Loetzer, A&M-Corpus Christi	Hollie Massey, Lamar
Sept. 19	Nicole Panis, Lamar	Arely Alaniz, Lamar	Cariel Ellis, Lamar
Sept. 26	Jackie Kelly, McNeese	Martine Ellefsen, McNeese	Taylor Spitzer, Northwestern State
Oct. 3	Sophia Dean, A&M-Commerce (2)	Nya Mitchell, A&M-Commerce	Hollie Massey, Lamar (2)
Oct. 10	Nicole Panis, Lamar	Rachel Loetzer, A&M-Corpus Christi	Melissa Storey, A&M-Commerce
Oct. 17	Jackie Kelly, McNeese	Alexi Pitt, McNeese	Hanna Moffatt, Southeastern
Oct. 24	Erica Defferding, UIW	Arely Alaniz, Lamar (2)	Kaydence Ramirez, A&M-Commerce (2)
Oct. 31	Gillian McKenzie, A&M-Commerce	Mia Salas, Houston Christian	Cariel Ellis, Lamar (2)

BELL IS ON FIRE
Bell scored a goal in her first collegiate match, tallying a goal in the first half against Oral Roberts. She has scored eight goals on the season, which includes match winners against UTEP, Northwestern State, and Southeastern.

A HISTORIC WIN OVER GOLDEN HURRICANE
Scoring once in each half and posting a shutout in net against Tulsa gave the Lions a 2-0 win, their first in 2023. It was also A&M-Commerce’s first non-conference win in the Division I era.

SUELTZ’ BRACE POWERS LIONS OVER MINERS
Kristen Sueltz (The Colony) scored the first equalizing goal and then added the match-winner against UTEP for the win. She did not have a goal this season prior to the win over the Miners.

A FRESH SLATE
The Lions head into the 2023 season with several newcomers, highlighted by three transfers from fellow NCAA Division I schools and impactful freshmen. The Lions are picked to finish second in the Southland Conference, which is the program’s highest predicted finish since 2018.

A HISTORIC 2022
The Lions are coming off a historic season last year, which was A&M-Commerce’s first in NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference. The Lions went 9-9-2, finishing third in the SLC during the regular season and advancing to the SLC Tournament Championship match.

A&M-Commerce retains four all-conference players from last season, highlighted by 2022 Southland Freshman of the Year Mya Mitchell (Dallas – Mesquite Horn) as well as Ashley Campuzano (Dallas – Atlas Prep), Nya Mitchell (Dallas – Mesquite Horn), and Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls – Rider).

PRESEASON POLLS
In the SLC preseason poll, the Lions were voted to finish second, behind defending SLC champion Lamar. Additionally, Campuzano and Mya Mitchell were named to preseason first team all-conference, while Shoffit, Nya Mitchell, and Hailey Griffin (Byron Nelson) were named to preseason second team all-conference.

2023 Southland Preseason Poll

1	Lamar (14)	126
2	A&M-COMMERCE	97
3	Southeastern	84
4	HCU (2)	83
5	Northwestern State (2)	81
6	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	68
7	McNeese	53
8	UIW	33
9	Nicholls	23

Photo – Mario Terrana

Lion Women’s Golf closes out fall at The Judson, Far-Arun ties for 13th

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Benz Far-Arun carded another top 15 finish for the Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team, who took 10th at The Judson on Tuesday at the Hattiesburg Country Club.

“The ladies played solid overall, but just a few big numbers made us drop some spots on the leaderboard,” said coach Lise Malherbe. “We could count four respectable scores each round this week, which has been a goal this semester.”

Far-Arun (Bangkok, Thailand) had four of five birdies in Tuesday’s final round, posting a round of 73. Her total score of 220 (78-69-73) tied for 13th, with Tarleton’s Lou Deltombe winning the tournament with 213 (67-73-73).

Marie Baertz (Luxembourg) and Jordan Dusckas (Flower Mound Marcus) tied for 41st with scores of 232, while Annika Schwinn (Rehlingen, Germany) tied for 53rd place with a score of 239 (82-78-79) and Marie Naeher (Neuenbuerg, Germany) posted a score of 242 (76-81-83) to tie for 60th place.

This week, Fahsai Inmee (Prachaup Khiri Khan, Thailand) competed individually and tied for 53rd with a score of 239 (85-76-78).

Central Arkansas won the team title by five strokes over Southern Mississippi. Central Arkansas posted a score of 875 (294-288-293). The Lions’ score of 919 (306-304-307) was 10th, four back of UAB and ten ahead of South Alabama.

“We will use the offseason to rest a little and then do some 1-on-1 work with the team. Hoping to continue the upward trend come February,” Malherbe added.

It was the final fall tournament for the Lions, who begin the spring season at the Islander Classic on February 19-20.

Pos.	Team	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
1	Central Arkansas	294	288	293	875
2	Southern Miss	286	296	298	880
3	Cincinnati	296	300	289	885
4	Tarleton	292	300	307	899
5	Drake	301	295	305	901
6	Belmont	295	304	304	903
T7	North Alabama	297	308	302	907
T7	Central Michigan	302	303	302	907
9	UAB	310	294	311	915
10	A&M-COMMERCE	308	304	307	919
11	South Alabama	304	314	311	929
12	Western Illinois	316	316	323	955

 

10	A&M-COMMERCE	306	304	307	919
T13	Benz Far-Arun	78	69	73	220
T41	Marie Baertz	77	79	76	232
T41	Jordan Dusckas	75	78	79	232
T53	Annika Schwinn	82	78	79	239
T60	Marie Naeher	76	81	83	242

INDIVIUDAL
Fahsai Inmee – T53 – 239 (85-76-78)