Aug. 18, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - "Whitney! Whitney! Whitney! Whitney! Whitney! Whit! Whit! Whit! Hooper! Hooper! Hooper! Hoop! Hoop! Hoop!' ... is not Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri imitating Stewie from the Family Guy, but she does seem like the Aggies' whole front line.
A "thin up top" hair style description ... meant for the Aggie soccer male coaches or for the Aggie forward corps? Well, since we are asking, kind of both! A transfer, two medical hardships and a medical redshirt proposed for junior Katie Hamilton (Spring, Texas), leave the Aggies with fewer options up front than they have had in recent years.
Is all hope lost? Is there doom and gloom around the Aggie training camp? It would seem that the simple answer to all questions lies firmly at the feet of senior Whitney Hooper - Hooper (Houston, Texas), who had all-world performances last year against Portland and USC; Hooper, who according to the Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan was the reason for the Tigers' season ending in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hooper will not be asked to lead the line alone, if last Saturday's exhibition match with the Rice Owls was any indication, junior transfer Merritt Mathias will provide great company.
If Mathias transferred to A&M because she wanted regular playing time, then she made a smart choice, she may have as much as she can handle. The Birmingham, Ala., native showed the strong running and great pressure that made her a youth U.S. National Team regular. Mathias also chipped in with a goal set up by Hooper. The two showed lots of interplay for a fledgling partnership, which can only bode badly for opposing defenses who may be used to speed or may be used to passing, but rarely do they see the two together in women's college soccer.
Adding depth to this chart is sophomore Nora Skelton. Skelton (Austin, Texas), on the mend from knee surgery in the spring, reminded the crowd last Saturday that she is not content to play a supporting role. Strong running and a physical side to her play, Nora is simply hard to compete against. Those who witnessed her performance against Florida State in the NCAA Sweet 16, saw a freshman who had matured and come of age over the course of a season.
Who else? ESPN play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins called senior Alyssa Mautz "a coach's dream" after a spectacular, headed goal against Missouri. Mautz (O'Fallon, Mo.) is that dream player and not because of her big-game prowess, but because of her versatility. Her ability to play anywhere makes Mautz a viable professional prospect in a league that has a limited roster.
When (and not if) senior Christina Navalta (Carrollton, Texas) and Catalina Clavijo (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) round out this group. Goals have come from both of them last season, but more will be asked of them this fall.
*The writer apologizes to residents of Dime Box, Texas, who thought they were already on the map. I am referring to the soccer map.