AUSTIN, Texas – It has been over a year since the Concordia Texas men's soccer team saw the pitch, but they have remained patient and resilient during these unusual times in their quest for an American Southwest Conference title and will begin that trek on Friday when they face off against LeTourneau.

The Tornados enter 2021 with momentum and high expectations after a historic campaign last season, where they reached their first-ever ASC Tournament championship game and had seven All-ASC selections.

Fourth-year head coach Nick Mims, who was named the 2019 ASC Co-Coach of the Year and sits five wins away from becoming the program's winningest head coach, is eager to see his team to return to the field and compete.

"We are excited to head into the season after the long layoff," Mims said. "It's been over 450 days since our last match, but our team has done a great job of staying focused no matter what has been thrown at them. There have been many ups and downs, so I am just excited for these guys to have the opportunity to compete."

Last season CTX finished second in the ASC right behind UT Dallas. In the upcoming season, the conference has been split into east and west divisions and the Tornados were voted to win the west division in the conference's preseason poll, which was voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

The Tornados received 128 points and 14 of the 24 first-place votes in the poll, finishing above reigning west division champion Mary Hardin-Baylor, who had 118 points, and divisional rival Hardin-Simmons, who were voted to finish third with 110 points.

Concordia Texas returns with a plethora of returners from last season's team, including five of their seven All-ASC selections, as well as key players from their ASC tournament run.

American Southwest Conference First Team selections and Preseason Players to Watch Zack Kusak and Edgar Guerrero return as well as Marco Vazquez, another ASC First Team honoree from last season, who finished last year with a team-best seven goals.

The Tornados will also rely on the defensive play of Bernabe Torres, who was a 2019 ASC Second Team selection and named the ASC Freshman Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Nicolas Kopinsky, whose strong backline defensive performance earned him an ASC All-Tournament Team nod.

Concordia Texas had one of its best defensive seasons in school history last year thanks to the play of Kopinsky, Kusak and Torres, finishing the season with nine shutouts, which ranked second in the conference and is the second-most by the program in a single season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Vazquez along with Guerrero and sophomore Xavier Polk will look to find the back of the net for CTX. Guerrero scored four times and finished last season with a team-high six assists, while Polk, who mostly saw action off the bench, scored five goals and added three assists last year.

Due to the delayed start to the season the Tornados will play a conference-only schedule, playing a total of eight games till the ASC Tournament which will begin on April 1.

The team will start the season on the road facing LeTourneau in its season opener on Friday at 5 p.m. in Longview, Texas, before heading to Abilene, Texas for a matchup against McMurry on Feb. 10.

Concordia Texas will have three home games, all played at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex in Round Rock, Texas, with its home opener set for Feb. 19 against Howard Payne.

Their home dates also include showdowns against Hardin-Simmons on March 12 and a potential battle for the division title on March 19 against the Cru.

The Tornados will be seeking their sixth straight ASC Tournament appearance and looking to claim their first-ever ASC title in program history.

Mims is delighted by his program's recent success, but understands the challenges that lie ahead for his team and what it will take to compete at a high level.

"We're honored to receive the pre-season pick to win the west division, it's a great nod to the achievements of last season," said Mims. "However, it is a new year with a new team. I am excited for this team to create their own identity throughout the season. The ASC will be tough like always, so we are excited to compete."