November 10, 2005
The 9th-ranked Texas A&M soccer team (16-3-2) will host the Northwestern State Lady Demons (13-5-1) in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament at the Aggie Soccer Stadium on Friday at 8:00 p.m. College Station is one of 16 regional sites hosting the 64-team bracket.
?There?â„¢s nothing like the experience of getting to play in the National Championship Tournament for any student athlete,? commented A&M head coach G Guerrieri. ?Our players are really lucky that we get a chance to play in our 11th straight tournament and play at home in front of what has proven to be one of the best crowds in the country. We?â„¢re really excited about the Northwestern State game and the opportunities it provides for us.?
This is not only the 11th consecutive trip for Texas A&M to the NCAA Tournament, but it also serves as the 11th straight season the Aggies are hosting a tournament match.
The A&M/NSU game will be the second match of the afternoon, as the North Texas Mean Green (16-3-2) faces the Southern Methodist Mustangs (14-4-2) at 5:00 p.m.
The Aggies are coming off a week in which they defeated Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado to gain their eighth Big 12 Championship trophy. A&M has been the Big 12 Regular Season Champion in 1997, 2002, 2004 and 2005 and have owned the tournament championships in 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2005.
A&M has a 13-10-1 all-time record in tournament play. Guerrieri is in his 13th season as the Aggies?â„¢ head coach and holds an overall record of 218-63-11 in Aggieland and a career record of 234-74-11.
Offensive MVP of the Big 12 Tournament, Ashlee Pistorius, holds the team and conference lead in goals scored (18) and total points (47). First Team All-Big 12 selection, Melissa Garey is right behind Pistorius in goals scored with 17. After 21 games in the net, Aggie goalkeeper Kati Jo Spisak is toting a mere 0.82 goals against average.
Northwestern State was able to gain a berth to the NCAA tournament with a 1-0 overtime win over Sam Houston in the finals of the Southland Conference Tournament. This is the third trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Lady Demons. They lost to Montana, 6-0, in 2000 and in 2002 they were defeated by the Aggies, 8-0, in College Station.
The Lady Demons are lead by 7th year head coach, Jimmie Mitchell, who holds a 75-56-12 record at Northwestern State.
The winners of the two matches will meet on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. with an opportunity of heading to the ?Sweet 16? at stake.
Those unable to attend the Aggie matches will be able to follow the action through FREE live video and audio. Live stats will be available at www.AggieAthletics.com for all games.
For anyone inside the Aggie Soccer Stadium, you can listen to live coverage on 89.9 FM.
Texas A&M will also be serving as the host institution for the 2005 Women?â„¢s College Cup, Dec. 2 and 4. For a fan guide and ticket information, go to www.AggieAthletics.com.
Texas A&M vs. The Tournament Field:
Team Series Record (Last Meeting)
Northwestern State A&M 1-0-0 (2002 A&M won 8-0)
SMU A&M 10-4-1 (2003 A&M won 2-1)
UNT A&M 3-0-0 (2004 A&M won 8-2)