ODESSA, Texas (August 28, 2024) – Heading into the 2024 UT Permian Basin women's soccer season, the Falcons had three athletes named to the Lone Star Conference preseason players to watch list. As a team, UTPB was projected to finish 12th in the conference, receiving 176 total points.

On offense, senior midfielder Laura Perez started in 10 of her 11 matches played last season and finished the year with two goals and two assists. She picked up both a goal and an assist against West Texas A&M (Oct. 4).

Despite playing on the defense end, fellow-senior Kristel Chaves started in all 16 matches she played in and finished the year with six goals and five assists. She had a goal and an assist in three consecutive games: Midwestern State (Oct. 18), St. Edward's (Oct. 21) and Eastern New Mexico (Oct. 25). She also set the season records for assists, goals and points since UTPB joined the Lone Star Conference.

As a freshman in 2023, goalkeeper Valeria Delgado started in 11 of her 14 matches. Delgado was 3-5-5 with 63 saves and a 1.95 goals-against average on the season, had a career-high nine saves vs. West Texas A&M (Oct. 4), and picked up her first collegiate win against Sul Ross (Sept. 19), She tied for second in the LSC with 4.50 saves per match while her goals-against average was the fourth-best in school history.

In the preseason poll, DBU was predicted to win its fifth consecutive Lone Star Conference women's soccer championship. DBU totaled 587 points and collected all but one of the possible 42 first-place votes. Head coach Marcus Wood's Patriots were 14-1-4 overall and 9-0-3 in league play last season. The Patriots also captured their second straight conference tournament title and third overall (also in 2019). DBU reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship and finished the 2023 season ranked in the top-20 in the country.

St. Mary's was the pick as conference runner-up with 519 points. The Rattlers went 11-6-5 overall and 8-3-1 in league play last year. St. Mary's reached the LSC tournament title match last season.

Four-time LSC champion Angelo State was picked to finish third with 500 points. The Rambelles, who have won three LSC tournament crowns (2022, 2021 and 2018), finished 9-7-4 overall and 7-2-3 in league play last season.

Texas Woman's was predicted to finish in fourth place with 456 points. Four-time LSC champion Midwestern State was selected in fifth place with 420 points, followed by Texas A&M International (348 points), St. Edward's (323 points), Lubbock Christian (278 points), Oklahoma Christian (234 points), UT Tyler (216 points), eight-time league champion West Texas A&M (200 points), UT Permian Basin (176 points), Eastern New Mexico (88 points) and new league member Sul Ross State (65 points). St. Edward's picked up the other first-place vote.

The Falcons will be on the pitch on Thursday, September 5, taking on Our Lady of the Lake University on the road at 12 p.m.

The seven-team LSC Women's Soccer Championship will be held Nov. 12 (quarterfinals), Nov. 15 (semifinals) and Nov. 17 (final). The No. 1 seed receives a first-round bye. The quarterfinals will be held on campus, while the semifinals and title match will be hosted by the No. 1 seed.

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2024 LSC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll/Players to Watch