Men's Soccer Team, UT Dallas

Watch Connor Crabtree and the men's soccer team play its first game of the tournament Saturday at the UT Dallas Soccer Complex.

UT Dallas’ soccer teams are gearing up for the postseason. The men’s soccer team will host the American Southwest Conference Tournament and the women’s soccer team will head to Abilene for its tournament.

For the first time in a decade, the men's team (12-3-3, 7-1-1) will host the ASC tourney. The Comets are the top seed, earning an opening-round bye after claiming the league's regular-season title. The team will play at 11 a.m. Saturday in the semifinal round.

The Comets are 10-12 all time in 13 previous ASC Tournament appearances, claiming the title twice — in 2004 and 2007. UT Dallas is heading to the postseason for the fifth straight campaign, advancing to at least the semifinals each of the past four years.

2014 ASC Men's Soccer Tournament Schedule

Daily tournament admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Children younger than 6 will be admitted for free. All games will be played at the UT Dallas Soccer Complex.

Thursday
Game 1 – No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. No. 5 UT Tyler, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – No. 3 Ozarks vs. No. 6 Howard Payne, 2 p.m.
 
Saturday
Game 3 – No. 1 UT Dallas vs. Winner Game 1, 11 a.m.
Game 4 – No. 2 Hardin-Simmons vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
 
Sunday
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1 p.m.

Full ASC Field Release
Printable Bracket
Tournament History

The Comets will face the winner of Thursday's first-round match of No. 4 seed Mary Hardin-Baylor and No. 5 seed Texas-Tyler. With a win in the semifinals, the men’s team would advance to Sunday's title game at 1 p.m.

The Comets roll into the tournament riding an eight-game unbeaten streak and winners of nine of their last 11 games. Junior Roman Rodriguez leads the Comets with seven goals, while senior Omar Jaroun has five goals and a team-best five assists for 15 points. UT Dallas has a balanced scoring attack as 16 players have scored a goal.

Sophomore goalkeeper Joseph Weber ranks as one of the top stoppers in the league with a 0.90 goals against average, third best in the ASC. Weber is a three-time ASC Defensive Player of the Week this season for the Comets.

Comet head coach Jason Hirsch is in his second season at helm of the program after serving as an assistant under longtime head coach Jack Peel for six seasons. Hirsch boasts a 24-4-9 record in his two seasons as head coach.

Women’s Team Primed for Postseason

UT Dallas Women's Soccer

Carli Beckett will lead the women's team in the ASC Tournament in Abilene.

First-year head coach Kanute Drugan has a re-energized UT Dallas women's soccer team in a position for postseason success as the Comets open the American Southwest Conference Tournament against Concordia Texas at 11 a.m. Thursday in Abilene.

The Comets (12-4-1, 6-2-1) recorded their fifth straight season with double-digit victories. UT Dallas, seeded No. 4, is making its 13th consecutive and 15th overall appearance in the tourney and is looking to add to its two league titles in 2002 and 2004. The Comets have advanced to the ASC semifinals each of the past 12 seasons with nine trips to the title match.

2014 ASC Women's Soccer Tournament Schedule

Hosted by Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene

Thursday
Game 1 – No. 4 UT Dallas vs. No. 5 Concordia Texas, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. No. 6 Howard Payne, 2 p.m.

Saturday
Game 3 – No. 1 Hardin-Simmons vs. Winner Game 1, 11 a.m.
Game 4 – No. 2 UT Tyler vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.

Sunday
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1 p.m.

Full ASC Field Release
Printable Bracket
Tournament History

With a win over fifth-seeded Concordia Texas, the Comets would advance to the tournament semifinals and face top-seeded and host Hardin-Simmons at 11 a.m. Saturday. The title game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday. All games will be played at the HSU Soccer Complex on the campus of Hardin-Simmons.

The women’s team is sparked by forward Carli Beckett, the No. 2 goal scorer in the ASC. Beckett, one of eight seniors for the Comets, enters the postseason with 12 goals and six assists and is tied for the most points in the ASC with 30 points. Senior Alissa Burch is second on the team with seven goals, while senior Sarah Borg and sophomore Megan Mugavero each have five tallies.

In goal, junior Macaire Ament is one of top keepers in the ASC statistically. Ament boasts a 10-4-1 record this fall, and ranks third in the league with a 0.87 goals against average and six shutouts. As a team, the Comets rank third overall with a 0.80 team goals against average with eight shutouts, also third best in the ASC.

Drugan, in his 18th year as a collegiate coach, recently recorded his 250th career victory and is 251-110-17 all time.