Men's Soccer Schedule Released

Kicking it up another notch

Lions set tougher course to prepare for RRAC

WAXAHACHIE, Texas  --  The old adage, “to be the best you must play the best,” is not the easiest path towards building a winning team. But for second year Head Coach Aaron DeLoach, it’s the only way to go. When he released the 2011 fall schedule this week, it is clear the terrain is tougher than in recent years.

“While it helps the won-lost record to play lighter opponents,” he said on Tuesday, “it does little to prepare our team for the rigors in this league.”  True. The Lions have racked up some big scores in triumphs during their final pre-conference tune-ups.  Regular season reality in the Red River Athletic Conference has been another story.

Coach DeLoach finalized the schedule before heading to Charlotte, North Carolina for summer fun with his family. He played professionally for the Charlotte Eagles for several years prior to accepting the offer to direct the SAGU men’s soccer program. The Lions, in their brief history, have yet to post a winning record. Earlier this decade they enjoyed a 10-10 mark under Austin Guest.

Two years removed from an 0-14 campaign, Southwestern went 6-12 last year. However, competing in the RRAC has been as different as mustard and custard!

The Lions have gone 1-22 over the past three seasons against league opposition, hence the need to kick it up a notch. So says Chef Emeril Lagasse and Coach DeLoach.

New Schedule Overview

The 2011 campaign has eleven home matches among 20 regular season tilts. That is three more contests on Southwestern Field than 2010, when the Purple Pride went 4-4.

The squad was 3-1 in pre-season games, outscoring the enemy by a 10-6 count. They were shutout in their first three Red River home games before closing with a 2-1 conference win. They finished with 12 goals while yielding 13 on the home savannah.

Among their early tests are a few stout opponents:  West Texas College, with over 40 wins in the past three years; Southwestern Christian University (Ok), who posted a 20-3 mark; Central Baptist College (Ark), a solid program with a 12-7-1 ledger in 2010. Six of the nine had better records than SAGU.

Two new teams enter the RRAC this autumn. Wiley College, who didn’t field a men’s program last year, has their Wildcats in the mix. While they (WC) may be green, the University of St. Thomas (Houston) is a veteran team. The Celts were 10-7-2 and qualified for post-season play. They were previously an independent member in the NAIA.

The University of Texas at Brownsville, the largest school in the RRAC (enrollment: 18,000), won the league in 2010 with a 9-0 record (15-4-1 overall). Huston-Tillotson University, located in Austin, Texas, was second to UTB with a 7-2 mark (10-9-1).

Speed thrills

Coach DeLoach has beefed up the Lions by addressing two areas of concern; speed and depth. With an incoming class of solid recruits joining returning players, this group could be impressive. As many as six freshmen could work their way into the starting line-up. DeLoach expects to sign a few more prior to the start of SAGU’s fall camp.

Players normally report on August 1st. This summer they have to begin later, August 12. That’s precious little time before they play their first game. On Tuesday, Aug. 16, they travel to Snyder to take on Western Texas College.

Southwestern faces seven clubs who were not on their 2010 slate, including Western Texas, Wiley, St. Thomas, Wayland Baptist University (Plainview, TX), Southwestern Christian University (Ok), University of Dallas, and the University of Houston at Victoria.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 469-658-2847.

SAGU Lions 2011 Soccer Schedule