Sept. 11, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 13 Texas A&M soccer team travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday for its lone game of the weekend against the defending national champion and top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Fetzer Field.
The two teams last met in the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Tournament on the same field, when the Aggies fell 2-1 in double overtime to UNC, who then cruised to its 20th national championship. In fact, the teams' last six matches have been one-goal games, with three going into extra minutes.
Entering Saturday's match-up, A&M is 3-2-0 after opening the season with a win against then-No. 8 USC, and splitting matches the last two weekends. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, Becca Herrera tally three points each.
North Carolina is ranked No. 1 and is undefeated at 5-0-0. The Tar Heels outscored their opponents 41-2 in those five matches and have shutout their last four opponents including then-No. 2 Notre Dame, 6-0. Courtney Jones, Tobin Heath and Casey Nogueira lead the attack with three goals each.
Live stats and free live audio are available for Saturday's match on AggieAthletics.com. Fans can also follow the action on an iPhone, Blackberry or PDA free of charge. Log on to radioaggieland.com for more information.
LAST WEEKEND
The Aggies were shutout at No. 14 California, 1-0, before rebounding with a 2-1 win at Saint Mary's. Jen Kmezich (2), Mary Grace Schmidt and Rachel Shipley accounted for A&M's four shots on Friday, while the Aggies took 13 shots, including six on goal against the Gaels Sunday. Young and Gnatzig notched goals and the A&M defense held SMC to a mere two shots (one of which was a successful penalty shot).
LEADING THE WAY
While Young leads the team with eight points and three goals, Herrera has already dished out three assists and freshmen Kim Castleberry and Chelsea Jones have taken 19 and 12 shots, respectively.
LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS!
Young has taken just seven shots, three of which were goals and four of which were on frame. That means the sophomore defender boasts a .429 shot percentage and a .571 shot on goal percentage. Gnatzig is also on target with her shots, as six of 10 have been on frame for a .600 shot on goal percentage.
THE LAST TIME
When was the last time Texas A&M started a season 3-2? In 2004. The Aggies ended up 18-6 and took home the Big 12 Regular Season and Tournament titles, before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
COMPARABLE NUMBERS
While UNC is undefeated and ranked at the top, A&M has very comparable numbers. Let's take a look:
|
 |
A&M |
UNC |
|
Shot attempts |
105 |
104 |
|
Shots on goal |
45 |
50 |
|
SOG percent |
.429 |
.481 |
|
Shots per game |
21.0 |
20.8 |
|
Corner kicks |
33 |
34 |
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
UNC is ranked No. 1 in four polls and is riding a 29-game unbeaten streak, including a 5-0-0 record this season. The Tar Heels last defeat came at the hands of Notre Dame on September 5, 2008. UNC outscored its opponents 41-2 this year, not allowing a goal since its first match against then-No. 3 UCLA who North Carolina pounded, 7-2. Another impressive win was a 6-0 shutout of then-No. 2 Notre Dame last weekend. Jones (3 G, 4 A), Heath (3 G, 4 A) and Nogueira (3 G, 2 A) lead the offense, while goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris posts a 0.22 goals against average and a .875 save percentage.
VERSUS THE TAR HEELS
A&M has only beaten UNC once (Aug. 25, 2006) and trails in the all-time series 1-11. However, the last six matches between the two teams have been one-goal games, with three going into at least one overtime period. Gnatzig has proved successful against the Tar Heels producing two goals and one assist in the last three years, while Shipley contributed two assists, and Mautz and Young each added an assist. The Aggies are 0-4 at Fetzer Field.