Angelina College in Lufkin to Unveil New Soccer Facility

Wednesday, August 24, 2022, will go down as a huge day in the history of Angelina College. The new soccer field at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex will host its first games in the school's history.

Before the games get underway, Angelina College officials and visiting dignitaries will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring a ceremonial kickoff starting at 4:15 p.m. The public is invited to experience the beautiful new facility (admission to all AC athletics events is free), and there will be free hot dogs as long as supplies last.

The new fan-friendly stadium features bleacher seating along with available room for personal chairs or blankets.

Following the grand opening festivities, the No. 18 Lady Roadrunners and the No. 10 Roadrunners will host their regular-season opener against North American University. For the first time in the program’s six-year history, both Angelina College soccer teams entered the season with national rankings in the NJCAA Division pre-season polls.

The Lady ‘Runners kick off at 5 p.m., with the men following at 7:30 p.m.

Head coach Nataki Stewart has said from the very beginning of this season that the bar raised with such strong showings last season simply means the bar stands even higher now.

“We felt last year we had the teams to compete for national titles,” Stewart said. “And with so many strong players returning, and with the mix of new talent we’ve added, we feel anything less than a national championship run will be disappointing.

“I know this group of players has a lot to offer, and we’re very excited to get going. We just want to play.”

Fans are encouraged to follow Angelina College Athletics on Twitter (@ACAthletics) or on Facebook (Angelina College Athletics) for updates throughout the season.

AC teams opened the regular season at Eastern Oklahoma State College last week. The Roadrunners pulled out a 2-1 win behind a pair of goals from Aldair Chavez, and the Lady ‘Runners battled to a 1-1 draw despite two overtime periods. Lilian Clase scored the lone goal for AC’s ladies, and keeper Alexandria Nunez notched six saves in the net.

Both AC teams feature some local players.  For the Lady 'Runners, Idalia Hernandez and Esperanza Cuevas played soccer at Lufkin High School, while Kaelie Darby was a Lady Hornet at Hudson High School. On the men's side, Christian Delgado played at Nacogdoches High School.