COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The 10th-ranked Aggies make their SEC home debut this weekend, hosting defending SEC regular-season champion South Carolina on Friday and defending SEC tournament champion Auburn on Sunday.
Texas A&M enters the fray riding a streak of five consecutive shutouts for the first time in program history. The scoreless string for the Aggies’ defense currently stands at a program-best 516 minutes.
The Maroon and White also own a seven-match win streak. It’s the longest win streak for the Aggies since stringing together eight consecutive wins from Sept. 26 to Oct. 24, 2010. A pair of wins on the weekend, would give Texas A&M its longest win streak since registering 10 consecutive wins from Sept. 30 to Nov. 2, 2007.
During the current seven-match win streak, the Aggies have outscored opponents 17-1.
PROMOTIONS
On Friday, the No. 10 Aggies host South Carolina in a 7 p.m. match with three featured promotions.
- The first 250 Texas A&M Students will receive a free SEC Inaugural t-shirt
- The soccer game will be one of the featured events for members of the Junior Aggie Club. Face painting, inflatables and other youth-friendly activities will be available.
- If fans become friends with Aggie Soccer on Facebook they can print a code to purchase a $3 ticket.
. http://www.facebook.com/AggieSoccer
On Sunday, Texas A&M hosts Auburn in a 1:30 p.m. match with a four promotions.
- All youth soccer players will be admitted free if they are wearing their team jersey.
- Members of the Aggie Soccer team will sign autographs after the game.
- Fans with a ticket from Saturday’s football game can purchase a $3 general admission ticket.
- Whataburger will be hosting a Canned Food Drive benefitting the Brazos Valley Food Bank. Anyone who brings two or more cans will receive a free coupon courtesy of Whataburger.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and individual tickets for the 2012 home season are now for sale. To purchase tickets, please contact the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at tickets.12thmanfoundation.com, 979-845-2311 or toll free at 1-888-99-AGGIE. Tickets are also available in person beginning one hour before the match at Ellis Field.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats for both matches this weekend on AggieAthletics.com. Premium subscribers to 12thMan.TV can watch both games live. Sunday’s game will feature free live audio on RadioAggieland.com as the Zone HD Aggie Soccer “Match of the Week”.
FOLLOW @AGGIESOCCER ON TWITTER
Not following @AggieSoccer on Twitter? Sign up or sign in now to find out what’s happening. You’ll stay up-to-date on the latest news and receive live in-game updates at each and every match.
WHERE ARE THE AGGIES RANKED?
In the fifth week of regular season polling, A&M is ranked No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire poll, No. 7 in the Soccer Times rankings and No. 12 in the Soccer America poll. Florida State claimed the top spot in the NSCAA/Continental Tire poll, followed by UCLA, Stanford, Boston College and Duke.
UP NEXT
The Aggies hit the road again for a pair of league contests next weekend. On Friday, A&M heads to Lexington to take on Kentucky who currently sits in first place in the Eastern Division after a 2-0-0 weekend, including wins over Florida and Mississippi State. On Sunday, the Aggies jouney to Starkville to face Mississippi State in a key Western Division match.
ELLIS FIELD ADVANTAGE
Texas A&M owns a 175-25-5 (.866) all-time record at Ellis Field (formerly Aggie Soccer Stadium). The Maroon and White have called the field home since the 1994 season, playing the inaugural 1993 season at Old Tiger Field. Since 2005, the Aggies have registered a 75-9-4 (.875) mark on the friendly pitch.
LAST TIME OUT - OLE MISS
The Aggies posted a shutout in five consecutive games for the first time in program history. Texas A&M drew blood early when Annie Kunz scored on an assist from Meghan Streight in the seventh minute of action. With 15 minutes remaining in the first half, Streight sent a free kick in from 40 yards out and Shea Groom got a head on it 12 yards out for the goal and a 2-0 advantage. Kunz scored her second goal of the game, seven minutes into the second half, on an assist from Lindsey Witz. Allie Bailey capped off the scoring collecting a carom off her own shot and kicking it in the back of the net. Jordan Day made seven saves to pick up her sixth shutout of the season.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina, the defending SEC regular-season champion, enters the weekend at the bottom of the Eastern Division after mustering just one point last weekend. The Gamecocks opened league play at home with a tie against Mississippi State (0-0) and a loss to Missouri (1-0). Despite a 3-3-2 overall record, South Carolina’s defense has been stout allowing just four goals in nearly 786 minutes of actio for a 0.46 goals-against average. Darien Vercilli (432 min./0.42 GAA) and Sabrina D’Angelo (353 min./0.51 GAA) have shared time in goal. Coryn Bajema has accounted for three of the Gamecocks’ nine goals on the season. Courtney Angotti-Smith has two goals and a team-high three assists.
SCOUTING AUBURN
Auburn, the defending SEC tournament champion, enters the weekend at the bottom of the Western Division after failing to earn a point in the opening set of league action. The Tigers opened conference play at home with losses to a pair of nationally ranked teams in Missouri (2-0) and Florida (2-1). Tori Ball and Mary Coffed each have three goals to lead the Auburn (4-5-0) attack. Tatiana Coleman has a team-high four assists. Amy Howard has played all 819 minutes in goal and has 39 saves and a 1.21 GAA.
THE SERIES
The Aggies 1-0 all-time against South Carolina and will be facing Auburn for the first time. Texas A&M won the lone meeting against the Gamecocks, 2-1 in overtime, in College Station. The game was tied for the first 76 minutes before South Carolina’s Amanda Thurber scored to break the scoring seal. The Gamecocks appeared head for victory before Emma Smith notched an equalizer in the 88th minute of action. In the seventh minute of overtime, Amanda Burke tallied the game-winner on an assist from Laura Probst.
MEET THE SEC
Each of the 14 schools in Southeastern Conference (SEC) sponsor women’s soccer. The conference is split into two divisions: Eastern and Western. The Aggies, LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Mississippi State comprise the SEC Western Division and Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt make up the SEC Eastern Division. The Aggies will play each of the other 13 schools in the conference this season, beginning with LSU on Sept. 14 in Baton Rouge, La.
AGAINST THE SEC
In the 20-year history of the program, Texas A&M owns a 16-5-1 record against teams who were members of the SEC at the time and a 29-10-2 mark against current members of the SEC. The ledger includes a 13-5-1 mark against former Big 12 foe Missouri. The Aggies own winning records against Alabama (2-1), Arkansas (2-1), Florida (4-2), Kentucky (1-0), LSU (2-0-1), Ole Miss (1-0), South Carolina (1-0) and Vanderbilt (3-0). The only SEC team Texas A&M has a losing record against is Tennessee (0-1). The Aggies have never faced Auburn, Georgia, and Mississippi State.
2012 ROSTER
The Aggies’ 23-player roster features nine upperclassmen, 10 sophomores and 4 freshmen. A&M’s squad is guided by seven seniors. The team returns eight starters and 19 letterwinners from a year ago.
FRESH TALENT
The Aggies welcome four freshmen this season, in Janae Cousineau (San Clemente, Calif.), Kristi Leonard (League City, Texas), Karlie Mueller (Sioux Falls, S.D.), and Jackie Tondl (Omaha, Neb.).
AT THE TOP AGAIN
With the 2012 No. 14 preseason ranking, A&M has been in the preseason national top 15 every year for 17 consecutive seasons. The Aggies have also consistently appeared in top 25 polls for the past 16 years.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONS
The Aggies won their 12th-and-final Big 12 Championship during the 2011 conference tournament. With just 15 seconds left in the Championship match, Tournament MVP and then-freshman Kelley Monogue weaved through three defenders and ricocheted a shot off of the left post that found then-senior Megan Majewski at 18 yards from goal. Majewski fired with nine seconds on the clock and netted the 1-0 goal against Oklahoma State to win the tournament. The Aggies were the only school in the conference to earn a Big 12 Tournament berth in the 16 years of its existence.
SEC PRESEASON POLL
Texas A&M, the reigning Big 12 champion, notched the second spot in the 2012 SEC Soccer Preseason Poll, after receiving 12 of the first-place votes for the SEC West and tallying 89 points overall. The Aggies were picked to win the Western Division and to finish behind Eastern Division favorite Florida, who earned 90 points in the poll. LSU received two first-place votes for the SEC West and was picked to finish second in the division, while Georgia was picked to finish second in the East.
FOUR AGGIES ON SEC PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Sophomores Kelley Monogue, Meghan Streight and Katie Perry and senior Beth West were named to the SEC Preseason Watch List on Aug. 8.
MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Monogue was placed on the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List. The award is the highest honor in collegiate soccer and will be given to a winner on Jan. 11. The field will be narrowed to 15 semifinalists in late November, and three finalists will be named on Dec. 6.
TOP DRAWER SOCCER HONORS
The Aggies ranked No. 5 in TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Preseason Rankings and placed three players on the publication’s SEC Top 20 List. Monogue landed at the top of the list with a No. 1 ranking and was joined in the top 10 by No. 5 Perry and No. 9 West. The Aggies were the only team in the SEC to have three honorees on the list and one of only two schools with multiple players in the top 10.
GUERRIERI RANKS AMONG THE NATION’S WINNINGEST COACHES
Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri ranks among the Top 10 in both winning percentage and victories among active Division I coaches. With a career record of 343-109-24 (.746), he ranks seventh in winning percentage (minimum five years as a Division I head coach) and ninth in victories. Among all coaches to ever coach Division I women’ soccer, Guerrieri ranks eighth in winning percentage (minimum 10 years as a Division I head coach) and ninth in victories.
HOME SCHEDULE
A&M face a difficult home slate, hosting 12 opponents at Ellis Field including seven SEC foes. The Aggies just finished a five-game homestand, the longest on this year’s schedule, featuring two Top 20 teams.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
A&M faced a tough non-conference schedule. The Aggies’ seven games against non-SEC opponents include UC Irvine, San Diego (RV), UTSA, No. 16 Rutgers, Saint Mary’s (Calif.), No. 16 Long Beach State and Central Michigan. A&M went 6-1-0 in non-conference action with the lone blemish coming in a 1-0 loss at San Diego.
LONE STAR DOMINANCE
Since the 2008 season, the Aggies own a 17-0-3 mark against in-state rivals, including an 11-0-3 record against their former Big 12 Conference colleagues. A&M went a perfect 3-0 against in-state foes in 2011, winning the three games by a combined 7-1 margin. This season, the Aggies won their lone scheduled match against a Lone Star opponent, 2-0 against UTSA.
FAST STARTS
The Aggies’ 8-1, is tied for the third-best nine-game start in school history. In both 1996 and ‘97, the Aggies won their first nine games before losing game No. 10. A&M started 8-1 in 1999 and 2003 and 7-1-1 in 2005 and ‘08.
A pair of wins on the weekend would have the Aggies’ tied for their best 11-game start in school history. A&M started 10-1 in both 1996 and ‘97.
LEAGUE RANKINGS
• Annie Kunz enters the weekend tied for third in the league with 6 goals and ranked fourth with 0.67 goals per game.
• Kunz is also tied for eighth with both 12 points and 1.33 points per game.
• Meghen Streight is tied for the league lead with 5 aassists and ranks fourth with 0.56 assists per game.
• Shea Groom is tied for third with four assists and tied for ninth with 0.44 assists per game.
• Jordan Day leads the conference with a 0.33 goals-against average and six shutouts.
IMPROVED DEFENSE
The three goals by Aggie opponents through the first nine games is the fewest in school history. The previous low was the 2003 season when Texas A&M yielded four goals through nine games. Last season, the Maroon and White allowed 18 goals en route to a 5-4 start.
DAY AMONG NATION’S LEADERS IN GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE
Sophomore Jordan Day is tied for fourth in the nation in goals-against average with a 0.33 mark. She has allowed just three goals in 810 minutes of action. Day has recorded shutouts in six of the Aggies’ last seven games. She now has 15 career shutouts and is the only player in school history to record five consecutive shutouts.
THE AGGIE SOCCER HOUR
This year the Aggie Soccer Hour, Texas A&M soccer’s weekly radio talk show, is broadcast live from Rudy’s Bar-B-Que on Harvey Rd. in College Station every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. Come and be a part of the show each week, listen locally on KZNE 1150 AM or worldwide on RadioAggieland.com. Each week, Aggie soccer play-by-play announcer David Ellis will be joined by head coach G Guerrieri, associate head coach Phil Stephenson, and Aggie players.
AGGIE SOCCER ON TV
The Aggie soccer team will be on the tube four times this season. A&M beat Long Beach State, 3-0, in a Sept. 7 match featured as a NSCAA College Game of the Week on the FOX Soccer Channel. The Sept. 30 match at Mississippi State will be on Cox Sports TV, the Oct. 7 Florida game will be on ESPNU and the Missouri game on Oct. 25 will be on SportSouth/ESPN3. The CST and SportSouth matches will also be on ESPN3.com and the ESPNU match will be streamed on WatchESPN.
