Heat amidst many

Laredo stands at the mid-point of the Premier Development League season and it finds itself amidst a bit of company.

The Heat is coming off a disappointing game against the winless Houston Leones, in which they tied 1-1.

"We're a little bit irked about it (tie). It was a very winnable match and a mental lapse late in the game cost us two points.

That's in the past now, what we gotta do now is focus on what lies ahead," Heat coach Israel Collazo said.

At the top of the division, for the moment, are the Austin Aztex (5-1-3, 18 points) who showed that West Texas (4-2-2, 14) wasn't the only team enjoying a non-loss streak in the Mid South division.

The Aztex club is on an eight game roll, after dropping its season opener against the Heat.

The Aztex won their last two games, first against the Sockers, ending their streak, and then against the El Paso Patriots (5-4-0, 15) to take over the top spot of the division.

The Heat (4-1-3, 15) finds itself in a tie with the Patriots for second place, but with a game in hand. They are on a six game streak without a loss.

Behind the Heat are the Sockers and the Rio Grande Valley Bravos (3-3-3, 12). All five teams are vying for three postseason spots.

The PDL changed its playoff format for the season.

Instead of the top two teams advancing, the top three move on, with the first place team hosting a mini tournament.

In which, the second and third place teams square off and the winner plays the first place team for the division title.

Then the Southern (where the Heat belong) and Western conference divisional winners play for the conference title and the winner faces the Northern and Eastern conference survivor in the Championship game.

Back in the Mid South division, the bottom two teams in the Dallas Forth Worth Tornados (1-5-2, 5) and the Houston Leones (0-6-3, 3) need a dramatic change of fortunes to at least dip a toe into postseason waters.

Laredo, West Texas and Dallas have the benefit of having played one less game than the rest of the division.

The Heat also has the fortune to play their next three games at home.

Where they have yet to lose a game in three tries and has knocked in five goals, while allowing only one.

Up first are back-to-back games, beginning on Thursday against Dallas and concluding on Friday against Rio Grande.