AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas women's soccer team qualified for their 10th American Southwest Conference Tournament appearance in the last 11 years and will face the No. 6 seed, East Texas Baptist, on Tuesday in a quarterfinal matchup.
 
After missing the tournament last year, the Tornados head back to the postseason after a strong regular season campaign, boasting the No. 3 seed which is tied for the highest finish in program history. Concordia Texas earned a record of 9-7, 7-3 ASC, good for their highest ASC win total since 2012. 
 
Head Coach Andy Tunnicliffe believes his young team has proven that they are ready to compete for a conference championship.
 
"We are very happy with the progress we have made in a short amount of time," Tunnicliffe said. "We are a brand new team with a core of underclassmen. The ladies have proven that they can compete with any program in the ASC. This tells us that we have a bright future if we continue to put in the work and approach every day with a winning mindset. We know that we have a lot to learn, so we treat each game as an opportunity to grow and gain the crucial experience that will serve us well further down the road. The ASC Tournament will allow us to do just that, and we are excited about the opportunity. "
 
The Tornados will face off with East Texas Baptist for the second time this year, the first match ending in a 3-2 Tornados' victory in which CTX held off a late comeback attempt from the Tigers. Patricia Heckendorn, Kaley Kaspar, and Marissa Funk recorded goals in the match, Funk's score marking the game-winner.  
 
Kaspar, a junior forward, and a trio of sophomores, Kallie Krenz, Heckendorn, and Emily Mowrer lead the Concordia Texas offensive attack.  
 
Kaspar has found the back net for a team-high six goals, two of them game-winners, as well as adding three assists on the season. The St. Edward's transfer has made an immediate impact for CTX, performing well in her debut season.
 
Krenz put together an impressive sophomore campaign, notching five goals with a .600 on-goal shooting percentage. Krenz's first goal of the season came in the way of a game-winner, as she scored an early goal against Dallas to secure a 1-0 victory.
 
Heckendorn has been effective on the attack this season, tallying four goals and three assists while shooting on-goal at a .667 percentage. The sophomore forward tallied a game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Belhaven, scoring two goals in the final 20 minutes to secure the CTX win.
 
Mowrer has been a force out of the midfield, recording five goals and two assists. The sophomore recorded a game-winning goal against LeTourneau, her first of two scores in the match giving the Tornados a 2-1 advantage as they went on to win 5-1.
 
Tunnicliffe is prepared for a fight in the quarterfinal matchup, knowing that the postseason is never easy.
 
"East Texas Baptist is a very tough opponent who will be well organized and extremely competitive all over the field," Tunnicliffe said. "We expect nothing less than our toughest game of the season. They have had some fantastic results coming into the game. When you reach the knock-out stage of any competition, history, form, and opinion don't matter. Every team has the potential to win games. We have to be at our very best both individually and collectively, and we have to manage our emotions in key moments if we want to overcome ETBU on Tuesday."
 
Concordia Texas will host East Texas Baptist on Tuesday at Round Rock Multipurpose Center in Round Rock, Texas, kicking off the quarterfinal matchup at 4 p.m.