DALLAS BAPTIST at No. 9 COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
September 4 | Colorado Springs, CO | CSM Soccer Stadium
 
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE:
Livestats: CSM Livestats
Facebook: DBU Athletics
 
BACK ON THE PITCH:
The Dallas Baptist Women's Soccer Team kicks off the regular season with a two-game road trip to Colorado beginning on Thursday at No. 9 Colorado School of Mines.  Start time is set for 7 pm (MDT).  The Patriots are coming off a 17-7-1 campaign last season, which marks the second highest win total for seventh year Head Coach Michelle Lenard's squad. The record feat was notched in 2012, when DBU won 18 games and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
This year, DBU was selected to finish second in the Heartland Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.  A challenging slate of matches to start the season welcomes the Patriots, with five of the first eight contests coming against top 25 NSCAA opponents.  This includes two with preseason favorite and conference rival, St. Edward's University.
 
STRONG FINISH IN 2013:
The Patriots concluded last year winning 13 of the final 15 contests.  Both defeats occurred in a championship game – the Heartland Conference and NCCAA Finals.  All victories during that stretch counted as a shutout, setting a program record for DBU with 15 on the season.
 
An 8-1 Heartland Conference record helped lift the Patriots to the NCCAA Central Regional Tournament.  DBU posted consecutive victories against McMurry University (5-0) and Oklahoma Wesleyan (2-0) to clinch the NCCAA Regional Title.
 
A trio of wins vaulted DBU to the NCCAA National Tournament Final versus Azusa Pacific, but an overtime goal would end the Patriots' five-game winning streak.
 
LEADING THE OFFENSE: 
The Patriots are without graduating senior, Danielle Presley, but return senior, Lea Sedwick; juniors Ashley Cox and Emilie MacDonald; and sophomore Rebecca Kernen.  Sedwick was named to the NSCAA First Team for the South Central Region in 2013 and was named an All-American as a freshman and sophomore.

Over the course of three seasons, Sedwick has totaled 70 points, including 29 goals.  Cox boasts 26 points in back-to-back years while notching a career-best 10 goals, six assists, and 42 shots on goal. Last year, she was tabbed NCCAA All-Tournament Team, NCCAA First Team All-Region, and First Team All-Heartland Conference. 

MacDonald totaled a personal best seven goals in 2013, with all of them finding the back of the net in five straight matches. The five-game streak accounted for 15 of the Cedar Hill, Texas, product's 16 points.
 
Kernen contributed a solid rookie season starting 18 of the Patriots' 25 matches. She ranks third on the current squad from last year with five goals, second with four assists, and third in points with 14.

SENIOR WATCH:
Six seniors makeup this year's roster including: Kerry Edwards, Lea Sedwick, Jake Cox, Courtney Baxter, Rachel Albert, and Megan McDermand.
 
Edwards has done a spectacular job her entire career at goalkeeper for Dallas Baptist.  The McKinney, Texas, native has played in 69 games in three seasons, counting a career-high 25 last year.  She owns a 45-15-1 record overall and set career marks in minutes played (2,270:30) and shutouts (16) in 2013.
 
Cox has started all 69 games in her career and contributed 14 points over the past three seasons.  The native of McKinney, Texas played 1,964 minutes to lead all position players and had a personal-high, eight shots on goal last year.
 
Sedwick has collected 29 goals in her three-year career. Her debut season has been her best thus far with 29 points and 13 goals. The senior midfielder is 30 points away from 100.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES:
The Orediggers enter the new season picked ninth in the NSCAA preseason polls and are favored to repeat in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).  CSM was outstanding a year ago, posting a 19-1-1 overall record, going unblemished in the RMAC at 14-0, and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
A few players to watch are Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Nicho Cusack, and Goalkeeper of the Year, Jayln Yates.  Last season, the duo combined to lift the Orediggers defense to fourth in Division II in save percentage (.900), seventh in goals against average (.419), eighth in shutouts (14), and ninth in shutout percentage (.667).
 
Another preseason nod on the All-RMAC list is Rachael Turner, who tied for third in the conference in game-winners with four and ninth with the same number of assists.  Turner was a 2013 Daktronics Second Team All-South Central Region and First Team All-RMAC choice.
 
SERIES HISTORY:
Both programs have met in each of the past two seasons. In 2012, DBU was defeated by the Orediggers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  For the second straight season, the Patriots will open at Colorado Springs, Colorado.  In the season opener last year, DBU was unable to find enough offense and dropped a 3-1 decision.  CSM entered last year ranked No. 9 in the nation, while the Patriots were also nationally ranked at No. 14.  Junior Lindsey Eccles kicked the only goal for DBU in the setback, while Ashley Cox tallied the assist. Edwards grabbed seven saves in 90 minutes.  For the home squad, Jayln Yates, garnered eight saves through a 90 minute effort.  Anna Evans and Bree Archuleta scored in the contest for the Orediggers.
 
UP NEXT:
Dallas Baptist will continue the road trip with another top 25 ranked opponent, No. 16 Metro State. The affair is Saturday, September 6 at 12 PM.