COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M soccer team (4-4-0) kicks off Big 12 play against Baylor (6-1-1) Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Ellis Field. The Aggies will end the home weekend with a 12:30 p.m. match vs. Fordham (3-3-1) on Sunday.
Fans wanting to catch the action this weekend can listen to both games live online at AggieAthletics.com. Sunday's match will also be featured on 95.1-3 The Zone HD, available via RadioAggieland.com. Those with smartphones can download the app at RadioAggieland.com.
AGGIE RING DAY/NATIONAL CHAMPS NIGHT
Friday is Aggie Ring Day. Any fans who wear their Aggie Ring (from any class year) will receive FREE admission to the match. Congratulations to all current students receiving their Aggie Rings on Friday!
Friday is also National Champions Night. The 2010 National Champion equestrian and track teams will be recognized on the field prior to the match, and the women's basketball team will be honored during halftime. Each of the teams' trophies will be displayed during pre-game ceremonies.
JUNIOR AGGIE CLUB DAY
Sunday is Junior Aggie Club Day. As is usual for Sunday matches, one adult ticket will admit up to four children for FREE. Fans that bring their Idaho football ticket to the match will be able to buy a discounted $3 ticket. After the game, the soccer team will sign autographs on the concourse.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Gametracker will be available for all A&M matches this weekend on AggieAthletics.com. In addition, live audio and live video will be provided for the games on AggieAthletics.com. Sunday's game will also be featured on RadioAggieland.com and 95.1-3 The Zone HD, making it available worldwide on any iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry or PDA free of charge.
FOLLOW @AGGIESOCCER ON TWITTER
Not following @AggieSoccer on Twitter? Sign up or sign in now to find out what's happening. You'll stay up-to-date on the latest news and receive live in-game updates at each and every match.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONS
The Aggies won their 11th Big 12 Championship during the 2010 regular season. In its final home match, the No. 6 Aggies upset No. 5 Oklahoma State and were guaranteed a share of the title. A draw with Texas in the final game of the regular season made the Aggies the sole owners of the trophy.
A&M IN SEASON OPENERS AND AT HOME
Since 1993, Texas A&M is (14-1) when it opens its season at home and is 16-3 all-time in the first match of the year. The Aggies have kicked off the season four times at neutral sites with a 2-2 record. At home, the team boasts a 167-24-4 record, good for a .870 winning percentage. This season, the Aggies defeated Fresno State, 4-2, at home in their season opener.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
The Lady Bears are 6-1-1 this season, most-recently defeating Texas State and North Texas, both 2-0, at home. In 2010 the team held an 11-7-2 mark, including a 4-6-0 record. Junior Dana Larsen leads the offense in 2011 with eight points on four goals. Freshman Natalie Huggins has scored three game winners for the Lady Bears this season, and has two assists to her name. Senior goalkeeper Courtney Seelhorst has spent each of Baylor's 740 minutes in goal this season, allowing only four goals while grabbing 22 saves for five shutouts.
SCOUTING FORDHAM
The Rams come to College Station with a 3-3-1 mark in 2011. Last season Fordham was 8-10-1, including 4-4-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team most recently fell to Manhattan, 0-1 on Friday, before blanking Stony Brook, 2-0, at home on Sunday. Junior Annie Worden had both goals for Fordham. Freshman Kristina Maksuti leads the Rams' attack this season with four goals, including two game winners, and two assists. Junior keeper Rachel Suther owns a majority of the team's time in goal, allowing 10 goals while making 23 saves for one shutout.
THE SERIES
A&M has matched up against the Baylor every year since 1996. The Aggies hold a 12-4-1 advantage over the Lady Bears. In the last 10 meetings, dating back to 2003, A&M has won every match and not allowed a single goal by Baylor.
This is the first meeting between the Aggies and the Rams.
LAST TIME OUT - DUKE AND NORTH CAROLINA
The Aggies fell to the host Blue Devils, 7-2 on Friday, in the Duke Nike Classic in Durham, N. C., before an outstanding match against No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday. A&M performed a 4-3 overtime upset of the top-ranked Tar Heels. Freshman Shea Groom scored the golden goal in the 91st minute. Senior Merritt Mathias contributed two assists, including one for the equalizer that sent the match into overtime. The game marked the first time in UNC history that a team has rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Tar Heels, and was only the second time in history that a team scored three consecutive goals against North Carolina. The thriller was featured in Top Drawer Soccer's 91st Minute.
2011 ROSTER
The Aggies' 25-player roster features 13 upperclassmen, two sophomores and 10 freshmen. A&M's fresh squad is guided by four seniors. The team returns 7 starters and 11 letterwinners from a year ago.
FRESH TALENT
The Aggies' 10 freshmen have made a big impact on the 2011 squad. Groom, Kunz and Kelley Monogue top the team offensively, while both keepers, McDermott and Jordan Day, are freshmen. Allie Bailey and Bianca Brinson contribute regularly as forwards and Meghan Streight, Katie Perry and Leigh Edwards round out the midfield. Each freshman has seen action already this season, while all-but six of A&M's 24 goals were netted by members of the Class of 2015.
BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
Texas A&M, the reigning conference champion, notched the second spot in the 2011 Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll, after receiving three of the first-place votes and tallying 59 points. With 62 points, Oklahoma State was chosen to win the conference. Only 11 points separate the next four schools, as Missouri (44), Texas (43), Texas Tech (36) and Oklahoma (33) round out the top six. The remainder of the poll consists of Baylor (16), Kansas (16) and Iowa State (15).
BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Freshmen Groom and Kunz were titled Big 12 Players of the Week this week. Kunz was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after netting four goals for the Aggies, while Groom was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week selection for her three assists against McNeese State on Monday and the game-winning goal against No. 1 UNC.
MATHIAS NAMED PRIMETIME PERFORMER
Mathias led the Aggie attack against her former alma mater, North Carolina, and was honored for her outstanding game with a spot on CollegeSoccer360.com's Primetime Performers of the Week team.
TWO AGGIES ON PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Senior Merritt Mathias and sophomore Rachel Lenz earned spots on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. This pair earned spots on the 2010 All-Big 12 First Team and the 2010 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.
MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Mathias and Young, both seniors, were placed on the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List. The award is the highest honor in collegiate soccer and will be given to a winner on Jan. 6. The field will be narrowed to 15 semifinalists in late November. A&M was one of only eight schools who placed two selections on the list.
HOME SCHEDULE
A&M's home schedule in 2011 is quite favorable and should bring lots of excitement to Ellis Field. There are 11 regular season contests on the home slate with four of those matches against teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Aggies play four Big 12 games at home.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
A&M faces one of America's toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. The Aggies' nine-game slate pits them against five teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2010, two of which (North Carolina and Duke) competed in the round of 16.
THE AGGIE SOCCER HOUR
This year the Aggie Soccer Hour, Texas A&M soccer's weekly radio talk show, is broadcast live from Ocean's Bar and Grill 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 show is brought to you by Monograms & More.
AGGIE SOCCER ON TV
The Aggie soccer team will be on the tube for its Oct. 23 match against Oklahoma State at Ellis Field. The game will be broadcast nationwide on ESPNU. Last season the Aggies and Cowgirls played in College Station, ending in a 1-0 victory for the Aggies and their 11th Big 12 Championship.