Oct. 20, 2005

The West Texas A&M University Buffalo men's soccer team hits the road this weekend for a pair of Southwest Soccer Conference matches. The Buffs travel to Tahlequah, Okla., on Friday to take on Northeastern State University and then go to Joplin, Mo. for another SSC match against Missouri Southern State University. Both matches will take place at 3 p.m.

The Buffaloes are currently 9-5 on the season with a 8-1 SSC mark, which leaves them atop the conference standings.

WTAMU is coming off a 1-1 weekend in which they defeated St. Edwards 4-0. In the match against St. Edwards the Buffs got a hat trick from freshman forward Raul Rodriguez. The second game of the weekend was against rival Midwestern State University, who defeated the Buffs, 2-1. The match against Midwestern was played with 10 men for about 50 minutes of the game because of a red card late in the first half.

Northeastern State currently sits fourth in the conference with a 4-5 record and an overall record 6-8 record overall. WTAMU defeated Northeastern on Sept. 23 at home, 2-1. Northeastern played twice last weekend and went 1-1. NSU lost to Incarnate Word, 3-0, and then defeated St. Mary's, 4-2. So far on the season Northeastern has been led by Ludinei Filho who has tallied seven goals on the season and also has three assists, for 17 total points.

The second match of this road trip will take place in Joplin, Mo., against Missouri Southern, who is 4-10 overall and 2-7 in conference play. Missouri Southern came to Canyon on Sept. 25, and the Buffs dropped the Lions, 5-1. Missouri Southern is coming off of a 1-1 weekend in which they defeated St. Mary's in overtime, 3-2, and then lost to Incarnate Word, 7-1. Missouri Southern has been led by Evan Keeling who has five goals on the season and one assist to give him 11 points.

The Buffs again hit the road again next weekend for a pair of conference matches against St. Mary's Friday, Oct. 28 and then a big match on Sunday, Oct. 30 against Incarnate Word. The Buffaloes will return home on November 5 to face Eastern New Mexico on Seniors Day, in a match that has been changed to a 6 p.m. start.

-WT-