Sept. 24, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 10 Texas A&M soccer team opens Big 12 play on the road this weekend traveling to Baylor for a 7 p.m. match Friday before heading to Oklahoma for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday.
The Aggies (5-3-0) are enjoying their first winning streak of the season after surprising No. 2 Portland and shutting out Sam Houston State last weekend. Junior Jen Kmezich added a score. Sunday the Aggies blanked Sam Houston State, 4-0, with four different players scoring goals. Hooper notched the game-winner before freshman Cydne Currie each buried their first goals of the season.
A&M IN BIG 12 OPENERS
The Aggies boast a 10-2-1 record in Big 12 openers. A&M is 4-0 at home and 6-2-1 on the road in its first league matches of the year. The last time A&M opened Big 12 play with Baylor was in 2006 when A&M won 1-0 in Waco.
LEADING THE WAY
Hooper leads A&M's offense with four goals and nine points. Becca Herrera is the assist leader with four. Kelly Dyer and Kristin Arnold split time in goal recording a 1.00 goals against average and a .667 save percentage.
A&M VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
The Aggies are 2-2 against ranked opponents this season with both wins coming against the two teams that won national championships at the Aggie Soccer Stadium - USC (2007) and Portland (2005). Against top-10 opponents, A&M is 2-1, dropping its only contest to top-ranked North Carolina. Texas A&M's win over Portland was the highest ranked opponent it has defeated since downing No. 1 Texas, 2-0, in College Station on Oct. 12 2007. In addition, the Aggies' three goals are the most UP allowed since losing to UCLA on Nov. 30, 2007 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
HOOPER PILES UP WEEKLY AWARDS
For her outstanding play last weekend, the junior forward from Houston, Texas, claimed the National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Player of the Week award in addition to being named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer of the Week, TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's Player of the Week, and she was listed on the Soccer America Team of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's College Soccer Team of the Week.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
The A&M defense is stifling its opponents' attack, holding teams to an average of 8.0 shots per game. Even when an opponent does shoot, the defense does a good job to keep the strikes off target, limiting the opposing team to a .375 shot on goal percentage.
HOW MANY SHOTS?
A&M struck the third-most shots in program history tallying 44 against UTSA (8/30/09) and followed with 41 shots - the fifth most in program history - against Sam Houston State (9/20/09).
SCOUTING BAYLOR
Texas A&M is the first ranked opponent the Bears (4-1-2) will see this season. BU is 1-0-1 at home and last won in overtime against UTSA, 1-0. Baylor averages 19.4 shots per game with a .507 shot on goal percentage. The team has allowed just four goals and has scored 13. The attack is led by Lotto Smith with four goals and nine points. Hanna Gilmore also posts nine points (3G, 3A), while Chelsea Geller adds two goals. Gianna Quintanna and Courtney Seelhorst split time in goal and record a 0.53 goals against average and a .818 save percentage. Marci Jobson is in her second season at the helm of the program.
VERSUS THE BEARS
The Aggies lead the all-time series against Baylor, 10-4-1, and have won the last seven straight dating back to Oct. 12, 2003. Last season, Young scored late on a free kick from 40 yards to seal a 1-0 shutout in Waco. The Aggies outshot Baylor 23-2, with both of BU's shots coming in the first half. A&M earned 11 corner kicks to the Bears' none.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
The Sooners (5-3-0) are enjoying a winning record after finishing the 2008 campaign with just three wins (3-14-1). With its first test against a ranked opponent on Sunday, OU has one thing going for them - a 5-1 record at home. Oklahoma dropped its first home game against USC, 1-0, last weekend and has managed to outscore its opponents 16-11. Whitney Palmer leads the attack with seven goals and 16 points. Dria Hampton (2G, 4A) is next with eight points, followed by Michelle Alexander (2G, 2A) with six points. Kelsey Devonshire is in between the posts with a 1.19 goals against average and a .784 save percentage. Nicole Nelson is in her second year as head coach of the Sooners.
VERSUS THE SOONERS
Texas A&M has never lost against Oklahoma posting a 14-0 record in the all-time series. Five of those matches were played Norman. Last season A&M cruised to a 5-0 shutout against OU with two goals from Young. Three of the Aggies' first four shots resulted in goals, while Young, Shipley and Gnatzig each scored in the win.
AGGIE SOCCER ON TV
Two regular season Aggie soccer games are broadcast on television this year - Missouri on ESPNU Oct. 4 and Loyola Chicago on the Fox Soccer Channel Oct. 11. In addition, the finals of the Big 12 Championship are broadcast live on FSN.