The Teams: Tarleton Texans (0-0, 0-0 WAC) vs. North Dakota State Bison (0-0, 0-0 SUMMIT); Nicholls State Colonels (0-0, 0-0 SLC)
Where: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Stadium: Nicholls Soccer Complex
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT (Friday); 1:30 p.m. CT (Sunday)
Video: N/A
 
TEXAN SOCCER GAME DAY
After 19 months of preparation and recruiting, Tarleton State University will make its NCAA debut in women's soccer with a 7:30 p.m. CT match against North Dakota State at the Nicholls Soccer Complex in Thibodaux, La. The Texans will then play host Nicholls on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT to close out the weekend.
 
Live stats will be available for both games. There will not be video broadcasts. Postgame recaps will be available on TarletonSports.com.
 
ABOUT TARLETON SOCCER
Women's Soccer is one of the newest programs at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. The addition of the program was announced on January 19, 2021 after the university made the move to NCAA Division I and the Western Athletic Conference in July 2020. Pete Cuadrado was named the first head coach of the program after successful tenures at North Dakota State and the University of Wyoming.
 
QUICK KICKS

• Pete Cuadrado was named the first head coach in Tarleton Soccer history on May 21, 2021. The veteran head coach made the choice to return home to Texas where he played his college career at TCU. Cuadrado was tasked with beginning a program from scratch with one full year to put together a complete roster.
• The first addition to the soccer team for head coach Pete Cuadrado was assistant coach Rex Carrell. The former Division III standout joined Cuadrado as a volunteer assistant coach for the first year before signing on as the first full-time assistant coach this summer. Cuadrado rounded out his coaching staff with Delaney Castor, who wrapped up her career as the most prolific goalkeeper in Howard Payne University (D3) history. Castor joined the staff in May.
• Tarleton's debut roster includes 16 true freshmen and six transfers, including five with Division I experience: Nicole Fels, Macie Johnson, Macie Witter, Adriana Alonso-Gomez, and Kiki Baurmann.
• Tarleton made its unofficial debut to the college soccer scene last Friday night when the Texans played an exhibition match at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Kiki Baurmann found the upper-right 90 in the 76' to deliver the go-ahead goal as the Texans went on to a 1-0 victory over the Islanders. The roster boasts players from all over the world. Players from five different states, including seven native Texans, and three countries have come to Stephenville to don the purple and white.
• Cuadrado's first game as the coach of the Texans comes against North Dakota State, where he was the head coach for nine seasons and is the Bison's all-time winningest coach.
• The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved changes to overtime rules in women's soccer, effective for the 2022 season. For the regular season, overtime has been eliminated, meaning if a game is tied after the regulation 90 minutes, it will end in a tie.

 
WAC PRESEASON POLL
Tarleton was picked to finish 12th in the Western Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll. With 21 points, the Texans were picked last behind Southern Utah with 25 votes. Grand Canyon was picked to finish atop the league standings with 117 votes, followed closely by Utah Valley (110).
 

Rank	Team (1st)	Points
1.	Grand Canyon (8)	117
2.	Utah Valley (4)	110
3.	Stephen F. Austin	90
4.	California Baptist	84
5.	New Mexico State	74
6.	Seattle U	72
7.	Abilene Christian	62
8.	Utah Tech	46
9.	Sam Houston	42
10.	UTRGV	39
11.	Southern Utah	25
12.	Tarleton	21

 
"I can't believe they picked a team who has never lost a game to finish last, but I guess we'll just have to go out and compete," said Cuadrado with a smile.
 
NOTABLES

• OPENING AGAINST THE BISON: Pete Cuadrado's first official game as the head coach of Tarleton's newest program will be against a former team that he led to new heights – North Dakota State. Tarleton will open against the Bison, where Cuadrado was the head coach for nine seasons and led NDSU out of NCAA Division II and into the Division I ranks. During his time with the Bison, he went 93-62-18 and was named the 2005 NCAA Division I Independent Coach of the Year.
• PUMPED UP KEEKS: Kiki Baurmann scored the first and only goal of Tarleton's debut exhibition game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Friday night. With the teams deadlocked 0-0 entering the 76', Baurmann was left all alone along the west sideline when Teeghan Dodd found her with a pass. Baurmann slipped a single defender, got the ball to her right foot, and delivered a strike in the upper right 90 for the lone goal of the match. Tarleton won its debut exhibition match 1-0.
• GOING THE FULL 90: Defenders Kaitlyn Flanagan and Sydney Rouillard are the only Texans to log every minute of Friday's exhibition win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

 
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE HOME SLATE
Tarleton will host eight home matches in its debut season, beginning with an inaugural season celebration on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Admission is free for all during the debut season and here's a look at what is to come for the home games.
 

Promos and Theme Nights
Date	Promo/Theme
Aug. 25	Inaugural Season Celebration	Tarleton Student Giveaways, Soccer Debut
Sept. 2	Kid's Night	Local youth get postgame autographs
Sept. 18	Pups on the Pitch	Canines Welcome, Free Frisbees
Sept. 23	Greek Night	Join Tarleton Greek Life, Horn Giveaway
Oct. 21	Military Appreciation	Recognize Veterans, ROTC
Oct. 23	Senior Day	Recognize Soccer Senior Class

 
FREE ADMISSION ALL SEASON
To help us celebrate the first season of Tarleton Soccer, admission to all home matches this season are free for all fans.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will play its first-ever home match Thursday, August 25 at 7 p.m. at the Tarleton Soccer Complex. The Texans will take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff in their home debut.