Aug. 11, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The eighth-ranked Texas A&M soccer team notched the top spot in the 2010 Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll, while the Preseason All-Big 12 Team was led by the Aggies with three selections, the conference office announced Wednesday.
A&M garnered eight of the 10 first-place votes and tallied 95 points to be the front-runner in the league. With 73 points, Nebraska was chosen second, but only six points separate the Huskers from third-place Missouri (69), fourth-place Oklahoma State (68) and fifth-place Texas (67).
The remainder of the poll consists of Texas Tech (61), Colorado (54), Kansas (45), Baylor (29), Oklahoma (28) and Iowa State (16).
Seniors Rachel Shipley and Whitney Hooper and junior Bri Young earned spots on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, making Texas A&M one of just two teams in the conference with three players honored. This trio of Aggies finished one, two and three in most points for A&M last season. Oklahoma State also had three players on the list.
A midfielder from Plano, Texas, Shipley was the only unanimous selection who is coming off of a career season in which she collected 27 points, was named to the All-Big 12 first team, the NSCAA All-Central Region first team and the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Season. First on the squad in scoring last season with 10 goals, Hooper (Houston, Texas) was an All-Big 12 second team selection and an NSCAA All-Central Region second team honoree in 2009. For the second straight season, Young (Castle Pines North, Colo.) earned a spot on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
The Aggies kick off with an exhibition match Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Rice at the Aggie Soccer Stadium. Following their preseason scrimmage, A&M opens its regular season at home against No. 1 and 20-time national champion North Carolina on Friday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Individual and season tickets to all Aggie soccer matches are still available by contacting the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at tickets.12thmanfoundation.com, 979-845-2311 or toll free at 1-888-99-AGGIE.