Sept. 23, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The fifth-ranked Texas A&M soccer team begins the quest for its 11th Big 12 Championship on Friday as the Aggies open conference play by hosting Colorado at 7:30 p.m. at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
In its second straight split weekend, A&M then travels to Nebraska on Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The Aggies (7-2), who were picked to finish first in the league's preseason poll, have won seven of their last eight matches, the most recent of which was a commanding 5-0 shutout of Cal State Northridge.
The Buffaloes (4-4) come to Aggieland fresh off of a 1-0 double overtime victory against No. 10 UCLA, while the Huskers (7-2) are off to their best nine-game start in nearly a decade and have won seven of their last eight games. Both teams kick off their final season of Big 12 competition.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Gametracker will be available for both matches this weekend on AggieAthletics.com. In addition, live audio will be provided on AggieAthletics.com. Live video will also be provided on AggieAthletics.com for Friday's match only. Fans can listen to Sunday's broadcast live locally on Candy 95.1 HD3 Play-by-Replay channel, making it available worldwide on any iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry or PDA free of charge. Log on to RadioAggieland.com to download the app.
FOLLOW AGGIE SOCCER ON TWITTER
Not following Aggie Soccer on Twitter? Sign up or sign in now to find out what's happening. You will stay up-to-date on the latest news and receive live in-game updates at each and every match.
TICKET AND PARKING INFORMATION FOR FRIDAY
Tickets for A&M's match against Colorado on Friday are $7 for adult general admission, $9 for reserved seats and $4 for youth general admission. Children under 2 are permitted free of charge in general admission seating. To purchase tickets, please contact the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at tickets.12thmanfoundation.com, 979-845-2311 or toll free at 1-888-99-AGGIE. Tickets are also available in person beginning one hour before the match at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
Parking is free and is available in the Reed Arena and Olsen parking lots. For added convenience, there are now two entrances on the north end of the stadium.
LISTEN TO THE GAME AT THE STADIUM FRIDAY
Fans, bring your radio to the Aggie Soccer Stadium on Friday and listen to play-by-play announcer David Ellis call all the action live on 88.1 FM.
ALL ABOUT A&M
The Aggies are ranked fifth by Soccer America and enter the conference portion of their season after playing what was arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation. A&M's two losses came at the hands of two top-five programs and the only teams A&M played that were ranked higher than them – No. 1 North Carolina and No. 3 Portland. Texas A&M averages the most shots (22.0) and the most corner kicks (6.0) in the Big 12. Senior Alyssa Mautz leads the league with seven goals, including three game-winners and 43 shots. Junior Bri Young adds a conference-best five assists. Junior Merritt Mathias (13 pts), senior Whitney Hooper (10 pts) and senior Rachel Shipley (12 pts) are also strong offensive threats. Senior goalkeeper Kristin Arnold suffered a separated shoulder at Portland and senior Kelly Dyer stepped in nicely recording a 0.59 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.
SCOUTING COLORADO
The Buffaloes are the league's only non-ranked team with a win over a ranked opponent and the squad carries that momentum with it into College Station on Friday. After upsetting the Bruins, Colorado evened its record at 4-4, but the team is still without a win on the road at 0-2. CU is averaging just 1.38 goals per game, but has posted three shutouts and holds its opponents to 10.8 shots per game. The team is led in scoring by Kym Lowry with two goals and four assists for eight points. Hayley Hughes and Amanda Foulk have each netted two goals, while Kate Russell adds three assists. Annie Brunner has seen the most time in goal with a 1.27 goals against average and a .719 save percentage.
THE SERIES
A&M leads the all-time series against Colorado 17-1-1. The only match CU won was a 3-2, double overtime victory at the Big 12 Tournament in 2006. The Aggies have since taken three straight, including a 2-1 double overtime win in Boulder, Colo., in 2008. In the 87th minute, Young headed in a free kick to send the match into overtime. Then in the 94th minute, Beth West headed in a cross from Shipley for the game-winner. In 2009, Mautz and Katie Hamilton scored first half goals to earn a 2-0 win in College Station.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Huskers meet the 18th-ranked Longhorns on Friday before facing the Aggies on Sunday. In addition to their strong start to the season, Nebraska is tied for the fifth-longest home unbeaten streak in the nation with a 15-0-2 record at the Nebraska Soccer Field since Oct. 17, 2008 when it suffered a 2-1 loss to No. 15 Colorado. The team scores 2.22 goals per game and averages 17.4 shots per game. Morgan Marlborough leads the offense and the Big 12 with 17 points, seven goals and 43 shots. Jackson Jordan is also a strong scoring threat with five goals and five assists. Molly Thomas adds four goals. Goalkeepers Tara Macdonald and Emma Stevens have split time between the posts, but Macdonald posts better numbers with a 0.82 goals against average and an .862 save percentage.
THE SERIES
The Huskers lead the all-time series 14-10, but Texas A&M has gotten the best of Nebraska in recent years, winning six of the last seven matches between the two teams. The Aggies dropped their match last year in Lincoln, Neb., when Marlborough netted her second goal of the game at the 82:29 mark to take a 2-1 victory. Shipley scored on a penalty kick in the 69th minute for A&M's only tally. In 2008, Hooper scored two second-half goals on two shots to give A&M a 2-0 shutout. West and A. Gnatzig provided assists.
AGGIES CLIMB TO NO. 5 IN THE POLLS
At No. 5, A&M achieved its highest ranking since No. 6, 2007, when the team was ranked second by the NSCAA. The Aggies have been a constant in the top 10 all season, starting the year ranked eighth and steadily moving up each week. The Aggies entered the national polls during the 1995 season and have appeared in the top 25 every week since for the past 16 seasons!
GOALS GALORE
The Aggies have scored 26 goals so far this season, which are the most A&M has scored in its first nine games since 2001 when it totaled the same figure. Mautz is having a career season, with seven goals and 15 points, which is already higher than her previous two season totals as an Aggie.
AGGIES IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
In addition to the 15th-best scoring offense in the nation, Texas A&M has the 30th-best win-lost-tied percentage. Individually, Mautz ranks 13th with six goals, 27th with 15 points and 28th with 0.778 goals per game. Young is ranked 19th with five assists.
LAST TIME OUT
After dropping a 1-0 decision at No. 3 Portland, the Aggies bounced back with a 5-0 win at home against the Matadors. A&M tallied its third shutout of the season and held CSUN to just three shots on goal, while scoring four second half goals for the victory. Scoring for the Aggies were Mautz, Mathias, Shipley and junior Megan Majewski.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M continues Big 12 play on the road and travels to Lawrence, Kan., for a 5 p.m. match Friday, Oct. 1 against the Jayhawks. The Aggies do not have a match on Sunday, Oct. 3.
THE AGGIE SOCCER HOUR
New this year, the Aggie Soccer Hour, Texas A&M soccer's weekly radio talk show sponsored by Monograms & More, is broadcast live from CiCi's Pizza on Texas Ave. in College Station every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. Come and be a part of the show each week, listen locally on KZNE 1150 AM or worldwide on Aggies All-Access and RadioAggieland.com.
THE AGGIE SOCCER SHOW
Each week, catch everything related to Texas A&M soccer with Will Johnson and head coach G Guerrieri on the Aggie Soccer Show. The show is available free each Tuesday on Aggies All-Access.
AGGIE SOCCER ON TV The Aggie soccer team will be on the tube for its Oct. 17 match at Missouri. The game will be broadcast nationwide on ESPNU. In addition, the finals of the Big 12 Championship will be broadcast live on FSN.