Nov. 26, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The third-seeded Texas A&M soccer team travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face No. 1-seed North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Championship at 1 p.m. on Friday.
The No. 13 Aggies (18-4-1) knocked off second-seeded Florida, 2-1, in Gainesville, Fla., last Sunday to advance to the Elite Eight for the fourth time in program history. A&M defeated Texas State (5-2) and Washington (3-1) in the first two rounds at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
The Tar Heels (22-1-2) come into Friday's match on a 19-game unbeaten streak and have shutout their last seven opponents. UNC cruised through the first three rounds blanking Western Carolina (5-0), Charlotte (4-0) and Illinois (3-0).
Senior Laura Grace Robinson leads a young A&M squad with 21 points on a team-high eight goals and five assists. Sophomore Becca Herrera also adds a team-leading nine assists and a goal.
Sophomore Becca Herrera, Carly Wohlers and Raven Tatum contributed her first career assist.
KMEZICH'S KICKS
While several freshmen had “firsts” in the first and second rounds, freshman Jennifer Kmezich recorded her third assist and sixth goal of the season in the round of 16 at Florida. After substituting into the game in the 38th minute, the native of Larkspur, Colo., set up the equalizer in the 40th minute and scored the game-winner 46 seconds later.
COME-FROM-BEHIND WINS
The Aggies have had two come-from-behind wins this season, both on the road - first at Colorado in overtime and then again at Florida in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. When A&M scores first it is undefeated at 16-0. When the opponent scores first the Aggies are 2-4-1.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels are one of the four No. 1 seeds who made it to the Elite Eight and are ranked third in the nation in addition to having the top-ranked scoring offense in the nation. They appear in the postseason for the 27th consecutive time in the 27-year history of the NCAA Tournament and are the only team in the country that has accomplished that feat.
UNC has reached the NCAA Women's College Cup in 23 of the previous 26 tournaments and has an all-time record of 96-7-1 in postseason play. The team boasts a 69-3-1 record in NCAA Tournament games played at home.
The team is led by junior Casey Nogueira with 54 points. She almost doubles any teammate with 23 goals. Freshman Courtney Jones has scored 12 goals and added three assists, while All-American and 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Tobin Heath (24 points) and sophomore Jessica McDonald (20 points) each total at least 20 points on the year. Ten Tar Heels have double digit points.
Anna Rodenbough and Ashlyn Harris split time in goal. Rodenbough posts a 0.47 goals-against average and a .824 save percentage, while Harris has a 0.66 goals-against average and a .750 save percentage.
Anson Dorrance is in his 30th season as the UNC head coach. His teams have an all-time record of 669-33-21 (.940).
VERSUS THE TAR HEELS
UNC leads the all-time series 10-1 against A&M. The Aggies opened the 2006 season with a 1-0, double-overtime win over North Carolina. UNC did not lose again that season, en route to winning the NCAA title. The other recent series meetings have included a 3-2 loss at home early this season, a 2-1 loss on the road in 2007 and a 2006 NCAA quarterfinal loss, 3-2 at Fetzer Field. Four A&M losses in the series have come by a one-goal margin. The two teams faced twice in the Elite Eight (2002 & 2006) with UNC ending A&M's season on both occasions.
THE LAST MEETING (Aug 28, 2008)
Junior Amber Gnatzig scored a pair of goals as the then 11th-ranked A&M soccer team dropped its first match of the year to then No. 2 North Carolina, 3-2, after a back and forth battle at the Aggie Soccer Stadium. In front of 5,642 fans, Gnatzig and the Aggies came back from a 2-0 deficit in the first half, but UNC's Courtney Jones netted the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute. Nogueira scored the first two goals.
ROAD HAZARD
A&M has a chance to become only the fifth team ever to defeat UNC more than once. The current teams on that short list include Notre Dame, Santa Clara, Connecticut and Duke. The Aggies also have a chance to become only the sixth team ever to defeat UNC at Fetzer Field (in an official NCAA game). Notre Dame has beaten UNC three times, Duke has edged the home-standing Tar Heels twice, and Penn State, Santa Clara and South Carolina have each defeated them once. All eight of UNC's home losses have been by one goal. (Compliments of CollegeSoccer360.com)
AGGIES ON THE ROAD
A&M posts a 6-2-1 record on the road this season (including playing at a neutral site) and a 5-1-1 record as the visitor on the scoreboard. The team's only blemish on its away record is a 1-0 loss to Kansas. A&M also played to a scoreless tie at Texas.
BIG 12 IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Aggies are the only one of the six Big 12 teams (A&M, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas and Texas) to advance past the first weekend of postseason play. A&M and Nebraska are the only two Big 12 programs to have advanced to the Elite Eight. The Huskers have gone once, while the Aggies make their fourth trip.
MAUTZ MEMBER OF U.S. U-20 NATIONAL TEAM
Sophomore Alyssa Mautz scored four goals in the two games prior to the postseason and is in Chile for the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup as member of the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team. The U.S. is 2-1 and in first place in its group. The team will play England in the quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 30 and competes through Dec. 7.