Texas A&M
Rice
Soccer Blanks Rice in Exhibition Opener, 8-0
Aug 13, 2006 | Soccer
August 13, 2006
The No. 14 Texas A&M soccer team kicked off the 2006 season with an 8-0 shutout of the defending Conference USA champion Rice Owls in front of 1,682 fans in an exhibition match at the Aggie Soccer Stadium on Sunday evening.
?I think we were able to come out tonight and get a good evaluation of where we stand as a team right now,? commented A&M head coach G. Guerrieri. ?It took us awhile to get things going. We were able to create a lot of chances for ourselves and put pressure on their defense. I was very impressed with some of the stops their keeper, [Amy] McClintock made in the goal.?
The Aggies jumped out to an early lead just five minutes into the first half as junior forward Allison Martino weaved through the far left side of the Owl defense to land the game-winner into the lower right end of the goal. Martino?™s goal would serve as the only goal scored in the first period of play.
To start off period two, last year?™s Big 12 tournament Offensive MVP, Ashlee Pistorius was fouled in the top of the box and was awarded a penalty kick which she drilled into the back of the net. Following Pistorius?™ goal, Amy Berend sent a shot from Madison Klovstad passed McClintock for the 3-0 advantage.
Halfway through the second period, A&M defender, Lauren Pfister took advantage of one of five Pistorius corner kicks, netting the Aggies?™ fourth goal. Then late in the second period, in a span of just over four minutes, three different Aggies managed to finish three goals to all but seal the victory.
In the 70th minute newcomer Amber Gnatzig sent a cross from the middle of the field into Melissa Garey, who was waiting to chip the ball in from the lower left wing for A&M?™s fifth goal of the night.
Two minutes and 22 seconds later Cydne Currie netted a pass from Elizabeth Jones who then turned around to score a goal of her own in the 84th minute; bringing the second period to a close with the Aggies on top 7-0.
?We were able to open it up a little in the second half as the players relaxed,? Guerrieri noted. ? I?™m pleased with how hard everyone on our team came out, played and contributed, but we have to understand that it is going to progressively get more difficult from here on out.?
Going into the second break of the match, A&M had outshot Rice 28-1 and had taken 13 corners to the Owls?™ one.
Bryan-native Julie Almeida posted A&M?™s final goal in the third period off a pass from Jones from the close right wing into the middle of the box.
After 105 minutes of play, A&M fired a total of 33 shots, while Rice managed two. Freshman goalkeeper Kristin Arnold was called on to make the only stop of the game for A&M.
Jones was named State Farm Player of the Game after registering four points on a goal and two assists.
The Aggies?™ next game will be against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Columbus Crew Stadium in Ohio. Game time is set for 4 pm.
