Goalkeeper Schmelzer Seals Season–Opening Win

Aaron Stares (4) scored the only goal St. Mary's needed in Thursday's victory. (Photo by Antonio Morano / www.moranomemories.photoreflect.com)

SAN ANTONIO — There are plenty of new faces surrounding St. Mary’s goalkeeper David Schmelzer this season, making the sophomore’s salty presence in the net that much more important.

On Thursday, the Castroville, Texas native exceeded the wildest of expectations.

Saving five shots, several of the diving variety, Schmelzer helped ensure a 1–0, season–opening victory over Houston–Victoria at the Northside ISD Soccer Field, the Rattlers’ makeshift home site.

With Schmelzer’s showing, Aaron Stares’ (Jr., Swindon, England) 12th–minute goal was all St. Mary’s (1–0) needed to open the year with a bang.

“Coming into the game, I knew there was a lot of pressure on this team,” said Schmelzer, whose 5.89 saves per game as a freshman ranked second–best in school history. “We beat them last year and we really wanted to win again this year. I knew we had to do it.”

Schmelzer said he still has plenty to work on, namely becoming a better leader through communication. He certainly has already mastered the athleticism requirements.

Showing spring–like hops and soft hands, Schmelzer allowed nothing past his reach. If the Jaguars shot it wide, he would dive. If it was high, he’d jump. And when needed, he’d combine the two movements.

Houston–Victoria (1–1) actually outshot St. Mary’s 13–7, but not even that was enough to slice through the Rattlers’ staunch defense.

The Rattlers will try to remain perfect on the year when they host Lubbock Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday at NISD Soccer Field.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men’s basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men’s golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men’s golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary’s also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary’s student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.stmarytx.edu/athletics.

    

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Que Willis

Querande "Que" Willis enters the 2012 season as the longest-tenured coach in the history of the St. Mary's men's soccer program, racking up over 50 victories along the way.

In fact, Willis, in his 10th year with the school, needs just eight more victories to become the winningest coach in the program's history. He has guided the Rattlers to a 53-97-6 record over the past nine years.

Willis has helped 34 Rattlers earn all-conference honors since 2003, including five last season -- and 29 since 2006. In addition to the team's on-field successes, Joseph Diaz was honored in 2010 as an ESPN Academic All-District pick.

St. Mary's went 4-12-0 in 2011, upsetting rival on the Rattlers' makeshift home field, the Northside ISD Sports Complex. The Rattlers spent a season without a real home in 2011, and will again do so in 2012 as their home field at St. Mary's is undergoing renovations as part of the new outdoor sports complex.

St. Mary's went 4-13-0 in 2010, again upsetting rival St. Edward's on the road and nearly knocking off nationally ranked Midwestern State in a 2-1 defeat at home.

In 2007, the Rattlers posted their highest win total in six years, going 8-11 overall and finishing third in the Heartland Conference. St. Mary's started the season 4-2 and had a 7-2 record at home. Six Rattlers earned All-Heartland Conference honors that season.

During the 2004 and 2005 seasons, the team played in the Southwest Soccer Conference, one of the top leagues in the nation as it was made up of teams from both the Heartland Conference and Lone Star Conference.

Prior to taking the reins as the Rattlers head coach, Willis served as an assistant coach in the Rattler soccer program for two years. He assisted coaching both the men's and the women's teams.

During those two years, he helped the men's team to a 19-13-4 record, including a 12-5-3 mark in 2002, good for second place in the Heartland Conference standings. They advanced to the Heartland Tournament Championship game both seasons with Willis on the staff.

While assisting the women's soccer team, Willis helped the squad to a 20-13-1 record over two seasons. The Rattlers advanced to the Heartland Conference Tournament in 2002, then won the tournament in 2003, defeating Incarnate Word, 2-1.

As a four-year letterwinner for the Rattler soccer team from 1996-99, Willis earned two All-American awards and two Heart of Texas Conference Most Valuable Player awards. In his freshman season, Willis was named Heart of Texas Newcomer of the Year, paving the way for what would become one of the most dynamic careers in the program's history.

Willis came to San Antonio from Plano East High School in Plano, Texas. In addition to assisting Corwyn Ritch for the three years prior to becoming head coach, Willis has coached numerous club soccer teams in San Antonio and Dallas. He also currently coaches the Dallas Texans Football Club "Blues".

Willis is a 2001 graduate of St. Mary's with a bachelor of arts degree in computer science.

2012 St. Mary's Men's Soccer Roster