Important finale awaits Lions on Friday

The athletic schedule for A&M-Commerce teams is dwindling down, but one team is battling for postseason positioning as the regular season comes to a close this weekend.

Neil Piper's soccer squad will hot Texas Woman's on Friday for the Lions' home and regular season finale, and although their opponent is sitting in the conference cellar, A&M-Commerce won't be taking them lightly, needing a win to secure a spot in the LSC Championships.

The Lions (7-8-2, 5-6-2 LSC) are looking to end a three-match losing streak when the Pioneers come to Commerce for a 7 p.m. match. TWU (1-13-1, 1-11-1 LSC) enters with losses in its last five matches. The Lions can still earn a spot in the LSC Championships with a loss or tie, but would need help in order to do so.

The LSC tournament will be played Nov. 3-6, hosted by Abilene Christian University, which has clinched the top seed in the tournament. The remaining five seeds are up for grabs between six teams. Schedules for the tournament will be released Sunday.

While the Lions battle for a postseason berth on the pitch, the volleyball squad will host a pair of conference matches at the Field House this weekend. The Lions (9-14, 4-11 LSC) will entertain Incarnate Word at 7 p.m. Thursday, and A&M-Kingsville at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Lady Cardinals come to Commerce with a 10-14 record, including a 6-10 mark in conference play. The Lions may have a significant advantage as IWU has lost three straight contests and is just 1-6 on the road.

A&M-Kingsville comes to town sporting a 12-12 record overall with a 5-11 LSC record. Like Incarnate Word, they also struggle away from home, winning just five of 11 road matches and two straight games overall.

After this weekend, the Lions will have just one more week of volleyball play. After a trip to Stephenville on Nov. 1 to take on Tarleton State, the Lions return home for their final two contests of the season, against West Texas A&M on Nov. 3 and Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 5.

The men's golf team is not in action this weekend, but will host their fall invitational Tuesday at The Tribute Golf Course in The Colony. The Lions recently placed seventh in San Antonio on Oct. 25.