SAGU Soccer Twin-Bill Rescheduled
Lightning Forces Teams to Make-Up Monday Games
TYLER, Texas -- A series of powerful storms blew through East Texas on Monday afternoon and evening, forcing the postponement of a pair of college soccer games. Southwestern Assemblies of God University and the host, Texas College, will make-up the games in a week, on Monday, October 18.
The SAGU Lady Lions will tangle with the TC Lady Steers at 1:00pm, while the Lions and Steers begin their contest at 3pm. Tyler, the rose capital of the world, is ninety miles east of Waxahachie. Texas College's women's team has a 3-3-1 record, compared to SAGU's 2-10 mark. The Steers are 3-3-2 while the Southwestern men are 6-6.
The games were originally scheduled a week earlier, but needed to be moved from October 9th to the 11th. Weather permitting, the two schools, members of the Red River Athletic Association, should get to play next Monday.
Strong rains delayed the start of Monday's women's game about two hours. They finally got the game underway and played the entire 45-minute first half. Less than ten minutes into the second half, amid threatening skies, officials decided to postpone the game when lightning strikes began lighting the local heavens. The Lady Steers had a 1-0 lead when the game was stopped. NAIA rules state that a game must complete a minimum of 70 minutes before it can be declared an "official game."
The mens game was postponed as well.
SAGU at Huston-Tillotson on Saturday
Both Southwestern teams will travel 160 miles to play in Austin this Saturday, October 16, against Huston-Tillotson University. The men play first at 3:00pm, with the women's contest following at 5pm.
Recent History
The Lady Rams are 3-8-2 overall and 0-3-1 in the RRAC. A year ago the Lady Lions defeated HTU (0-14-1) by a 3-1 score. In 2008, the two schools battled to stay out of the cellar. SAGU (0-13-1 and 0-6-1) edged the Lady Rams (1-10-2, 0-7-1) by a half game. They tied 1-1 in their lone meeting.
Tillotson's men have been league contenders in recent years. Currently the Rams are in second place with a 3-1 record in the Red River. They are 4-5-1 in all games. In 2009, the Rams were 10-6-1 and finished second at 7-1 in league games. They whitewashed the Lions, 5-0, at Southwestern Field.
Two years ago they also finished second (7-1 in the RRAC), going 11-7-1, including a 3-1 home win over SAGU.
Final Home Games on October 28 and 30
The SAGU teams return home at the end of the month for their final two home games of the season. On October 28 they meet Texas Wesleyan, then face University of the Southwest two days later on Oct. 30. The finale will also serve as Senior Day, where the school will recognize its senior players.
Should either team finish in the top six of the RRAC, they would qualify for the conference tournament the first week in November. For details, visit www.RedRiverConference.com.
