RICHARDSON, TX (03.30.21) - The defending conference champion UT Dallas men's soccer team will begin its run for a sixth-ever league title Thursday night as the Comets host Sul Ross State in the opening round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament.

ASC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

The Comets (4-0-1) are making a 20th all-time and 11th consecutive appearance in the ASC Tournament and will serve as the league's No.1 seed out of the East Division this spring. The Lobos are the No. 4 seed from the ASC West and enter the postseason with a 2-4-1 record. With a win, the Comets will advance to the ASC semifinals, next Thursday (Apr. 8) at Hardin-Simmons in Abilene. The ASC title game is set for Saturday, Apr. 10.

Spectators will be limited to 200 fans per contest (100 per team) and must be on the participating teams' pass lists. There is no admission charge for the games. Face coverings are required at all UTD home athletic events.

The Comets won their first four matches of the spring, posting a pair of shutouts, before closing the regular season last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Belhaven. UTD is 1-0-1 all-time against Sul Ross State since the Lobos began the program in 2018. The Comets are 18-12-6 all-time in the event while the Lobos are making their first-ever appearance in the postseason. UTD claimed the ASC titles in 2004, 2007, 2015, 2016 and 2019.

Junior Jovi Munoz, last season's ASC Offensive Player of the Year, and freshman Nahome Abraham have each scored twice this spring while freshman Arturo Ponce leads the Comets with two assists. The Comets lead the ASC with an 0.40 team goals against average with senior John Nicknish and junior Trey Nickel sharing time in goal for UTD this spring.

The Comets have advanced to at least the semifinals of the ASC Tournament each of the past 10 seasons and 16 times in program history. UTD has played in five of the last six ASC title games and has advanced to the finals 12 times.

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINALS
GAME 1 - Belhaven (East #3) at Concordia Texas (West #2), Thursday, 1 p.m.
GAME 2 - Sul Ross State (West #4) at UT Dallas (East #1), Thursday, 8 p.m.
GAME 3 - East Texas Baptist (East #4) at Hardin-Simmons (West #1), Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
GAME 4 - Mary Hardin-Baylor (West #3) at Ozarks (East #2), Friday, 11 a.m.

SEMIFINALS (hosted by Hardin-Simmons)
GAME 5 - BU/CTX winner vs. SRSU/UTD winner, Apr. 8, Time TBD
GAME 6 - ETBU/HSU winner vs. UMHB/UO winner, Apr. 8, Time TBD

FINALS (hosted by Hardin-Simmons)
GAME 7 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, Apr. 10, Time TBD