The time to win is now.

As Sul Ross State enters the Division II era, the Lobo women's soccer program has been hard at work preparing for the higher level of competition.

Fourth-year head coach John Dominguez and his Lobos travel up to Las Vegas, New Mexico, for the season-opening match against New Mexico Highlands on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. CST.

The Lobos will then take on Texas Lutheran for a neutral site match in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. CST.

>> PREVIEWING THE WEEK AHEAD:

New Mexico Highlands competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Cowgirls had a rough season in 2023, going 0-14-2 overall.

The program is searching for its first win since Oct. 9, 2022.

Meanwhile, the Lobos are trying to notch their first season-opening win since 2018.

Looking ahead to Sunday's match with Texas Lutheran, Sul Ross State is expecting a large crowd at the City of Eagle Pass Sports Complex as members of the satellite campuses in Eagle Pass and Uvalde are expected to be in attendance.

Texas Lutheran is a solid Division III program that went 9-5-4 overall last season and 5-1-1 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.  

The Bulldogs finished second in the conference during the regular season as they ended up making an appearance in the SCAC tournament semifinals.

This will be the first meeting between the Lobos and Bulldogs since Oct. 18, 2015.

>> THE LOBOS:

• Coach Dominguez and staff brought in 15 new players this season.
• The Lobos return 13 players.
• Senior Karina Gallegos led the Lobos last fall with six goals.
• Fifth-year players Yissel Olivares and Sarayi Serrano also return to the pitch. The duo tallied a combined six goals and five assists last season.
• Junior transfer Luz Ruiz, a forward from Cabrillo College, was named to the Lone Star Conference's Preseason Players to Watch list.
• Junior goalkeeper Celeste De La Rosa and senior Serena Escobar were also recognized on the LSC Preseason Players to Watch list.
• Sul Ross State's official home opener in Alpine, Texas, will be against Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 28, which is one of six home games at Lobo Soccer Field.

>> WHAT THE COACH SAID:

"I told my girls from the beginning when we got approved for this transition that we're not going D-II to participate. We want to go compete, but we want to win games by a big margin. The returners are going to be our foundation. They're going to help us get through this transition because they know how it was in the spring against the opponents we played. It's expected of the coaching staff to compete day in and day out." — Head coach John Dominguez on the outlook for the upcoming season

"New Mexico Highlands is going to be a great test for us. Our expectations are to go out there and be the best we can be. TLU is a really good team. We get to play an official NCAA game at another campus. I'm expecting it to be a big crowd. We also want to get three points in front of the president as well." — Dominguez on his team's first two matches

>> WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:

"Honestly, it's exciting to think about. Everyone here has a way different outlook than we've had previous seasons. Everyone wants to win. I'm really excited for the season to start. I want to see growth. Even though it might be my last year, I can't wait to see what comes for the upcoming years." — Celeste De La Rosa
 
"It's looking good. We're looking forward to two wins. Practices have been very high intensity, so we're hoping to keep it that way in the games as well. We're looking forward to a good outcome this weekend." — Karina Gallegos
 
GAME DETAILS

WHO: Sul Ross State at New Mexico Highlands
WHEN: 3 p.m. CST (Thursday, Sept. 5)
WHERE: Las Vegas, N.M. | Sanchez Family Stadium
WATCH: RMAC Network (Free to watch)
LIVE STATS: https://nmhuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
 
WHO: Sul Ross State vs. Texas Lutheran
WHEN: 6 p.m. CST (Sunday, Sept. 8)
WHERE: Eagle Pass, Texas | City of Eagle Pass Sports Complex
LIVE STATS: https://srlobos.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
TICKETS: General admission ($3) | Student / senior (60+) ($2) (https://srlobos.com/sports/2021/8/27/hometown-tickets-page.aspx)