Nov. 13, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 3-seeded and 13th-ranked Texas A&M soccer team begins first round action of the 2008 NCAA Division I Championship against Texas State on Friday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
The Aggies' game follows another first round match between LSU and Washington at 4 p.m.
A&M (15-4-1) captured its 14th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid and the highest seeding of any of the six Big 12 schools selected. The Aggies also host the first and second rounds for the 14th-straight year.
A&M enters the weekend a determined team with plenty of rest after being knocked out of the Big 12 Tournament in the quarterfinals by Kansas.
The Aggies are led by sophomore Laura Grace Robinson, sophomore Becca Herrera and West are second on the team with seven assists each.
Sophomore Sarah Pierson put the ball in the upper-left 90 on a free kick from 25 yards.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON
No. 22 Washington (14-5-1) makes its ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid. The last time the team made it to the postseason was in 2004, when it went to the Elite Eight. The Huskies ended their regular season with wins over Arizona State and Arizona last week.
UW is led by Veronica Perez with 29 points, including a team-high 12 goals and five assists. Kate Deines (12 pts) and Melissa Beal (11 pts) are the only other Huskies with double-digit points. Alex Phillips and Kari Davidson split time in goal. Phillips has four shutouts, a 1.00 goals-against average and a .694 save percentage. Davidson adds two shutouts, a 1.58 goals-against average and a .667 save percentage.
VERSUS THE HUSKIES
A&M is 3-0 against Washington all time. The first meeting was in 2001 when the Aggies shutout the Huskies 1-0. The following season A&M defeated WU, 2-1, in overtime. The final meeting came in 2005 with a 6-0 blank of Washington by the Aggies.
MAUTZ MEMBER OF U.S. U-20 NATIONAL TEAM
Sophomore Inge Harding, junior Emily Peterson, Robinson and Shipley. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA.
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Peterson and Robinson were also selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team. Peterson carries a 3.96 cumulative grade point average as a finance major and was named to the Academic-All District first team. Robinson earned academic honors on the second team with a 3.78 GPA as a finance and accounting double major in the Mays Business School Honors Program.
AGGIE RPI
A&M is ranked ninth in the NCAA Women's Soccer Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). UCLA, North Carolina, Stanford, Florida State and Portland are listed as the top five. The Aggies are the highest ranked Big 12 program. Oklahoma State (13th), Texas (16th) and Colorado (17th) are listed in the top 20.