Sept. 8, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M sophomore Bri Young was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, while sophomore Rachael Balaguer and juniors Alyssa Mautz and Rachel Shipley were named to the 15th Annual Cal Invitational All-Tournament team.
Young, a defender from Castle Pines North, Colo., led the Aggies for the second straight week, scoring the game-winning goal against Saint Mary's and adding an assist. Young scored on her first shot and produced a .500 shot percentage and shot on goal percentage.
Young took care of business on the defensive end also, holding the Gaels to only one shot each half and just one shot on goal, which was a penalty kick. In another strong defensive performance against Cal, she helped lead the A&M defense by stifling the 14th-ranked Bears' attack to just three shots on frame. Young played 180 minutes in the two matches and aided the defense in holding both opponents to a combined 13 shots and four shots on goal.
Balaguer (Austin, Texas) started both matches in California and tallied an assist and a shot against Saint Mary's. She aided the Aggies' second goal in the 41st minute. The defender received the ball from Young on a free kick, took it to the end line and sent a low, hard cross across the goal box. Senior Amber Gnatzig, was waiting near the left post and one-timed it into the back of the net to give A&M a 2-0 advantage heading into the locker room.
Mautz, an O'Fallen, Mo., native came off the bench and fired off two shots while Shipley (Plano, Texas) started both games and took three shots, one on goal. According to head coach G Guerrieri, both midfielders played really well and creating a lot of options for the offense.
The No. 13 Aggies (3-2-0) wrap up a three-match road swing at top-ranked and defending national champion North Carolina (5-0-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday.