Fresh of a SCAC Championship and NCAA Sweet 16 finish, Celt Men's Soccer is strapping its boots for a big 2023. Their schedule will consist of 16 tough games, including clashes against the region's best. In addition, St. Thomas is also set to host the SCAC Championship Tournament for the first time at Aveva Stadium this November.
Competing for the Top
The Celts will kick off the year against tough non-conference foes Pamona Pitzer on September 1st and Willamette on September 3rd. Pomona Pitzer will take place on the grounds of Trinity University, and the match between St. Thomas and Willamette at Southwestern University will showcase two top-ranked regional teams. The Celts will then have their home opener on September 8th against Concordia University, before heading to Belton to face the highly rated Mary Hardin Baylor Crusaders on September 10th. After that, St. Thomas will conclude non-conference play against St. Edwards (DII), McMurry, Hardin Simmons, and Wiley College.
In the SCAC, St. Thomas will look for their third consecutive tournament title. They will face the likes of Trinity, Colorado College, Texas Lutheran, and Southwestern for the top spot. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top four teams will advance to the conference tournament, which will take place November 3rd and 5th in Houston, Texas at Aveva Stadium.
Firepower and Brick Walls Lead
Returning for St. Thomas is a pair of offensive superstars. Taty Aleman was named First Team All-American last season powered by his impressive 20 goals and five assist performance. Aleman also continued his impressive play in the postseason where he scored four of the five NCAA National Tournament Goals for St. Thomas. His linemate, Daniel Castro also returns for junior season after receiving Third Team All-American honors. Castro has already made a name for himself with 29 career goals, which is ranked first All-Time for the Celts. He also scored the game-winner for St. Thomas in the SCAC Final to send them to the national tournament.
On the defensive end, second-team All-SCAC brothers Rodrigo and Diego Lazo will help a Celt defense that ranked second in Goals Against Average at 0.95. Diego, a midfielder, helped the Celts retain possession and have a solid transition game all season long. He also chipped in a goal and three assists to help the Celts win between the lines. Rodrigo Lazo started in 13 games last season and allowed just 14 goals in over 1000 minutes of action. He also had three shutouts with a 10-2-1 record.
Two Time Coach of the Year Ian Clerihew will return for his seventh season as head coach for Men's Soccer. After earning Region X Staff of the Year, Clerihew's crew has reached three consecutive conference title games and an NCAA National Tournament appearance.
"This game schedule will be our most challenging since our transition to NCAA Division III" Head Coach Ian Clerihew said. "Our team will have the opportunity to be exposed to top teams within our region, and to see where we stand early on in the season."
For the full schedule, click here!
