COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Tied for first in the Big 12 with the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation, the Texas A&M soccer team (10-5, 4-1 Big 12) hosts Drake University (3-7-4, 1-2 MVC) in the Aggies' final nonconference match of the regular season on Friday. The match is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Ellis Field.
Fans wanting to catch the action this weekend can listen to the game live online at AggieAthletics.com. Live stats and live video will also be available through the A&M web site.
FRIDAY NIGHT PROMOTIONS
Friday features several fan promotions. The Drake game is Faculty/Staff Night, as well as Freshman Leadership Organization (FLO) Night. Any Texas A&M faculty or staff member who shows their TAMU ID will get in FREE. FLO members wearing their organization t-shirts will also receive FREE admission to the match.
As a special treat, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets will be marching into the stadium before the game. The Parsons Mounted Calvary will be bringing the Spirit of '02 cannon to fire after each Aggie goal. Come early to watch march-in and be ready for the cannon!
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats, live video and live audio will be available for the match this weekend on AggieAthletics.com. Fans wanting to listen to the game from within the stadium can tune in to 88.1 FM.
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. The Aggies and Cowgirls are currently tied at first in the conference.
SCOUTING DRAKE
The Bulldogs are 3-7-4 this season, and 1-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Last weekend the team dropped a pair of matches to Missouri State and CSU Bakersfield. In 2010, Drake was 10-6-3 overall, finishing fourth in the MVC with a 3-3 conference record. Senior Danielle Figliola leads the Drake offense with seven points on two goals and three assists. The forward was named the MVC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4 for the first time in her career at Drake. Sophomore Kalena Litch has spent every minute in goal for the Bulldogs, making 95 saves while allowing 17 goals. The goalkeeper is tied at third in Drake soccer history for single-season saves, putting her on pace to break the school record of 124.
THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between the two teams. The last time the Aggies played a MVC team was Sept. 29, 1995, resulting in a 2-0 victory over Creighton in College Station. Drake faced Iowa State in Des Moines, Iowa earlier this season. The Bulldogs fell, 0-2.
LAST TIME OUT - TEXAS TECH
Freshman Kelley Monogue netted two second-half goals against strong winds to hand the Aggies a 2-0 victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock. The forward's first goal, in the 47th minute, was the first goal allowed by the Red Raiders in 717 consecutive minutes. Texas Tech has won 10 shutouts in their 14 games this season, and goalkeeper Victoria Esson was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the three weeks leading up to the A&M match. Freshman Jordan Day spent 90 shutout minutes in goal, but the Aggie defense never gave the Red Raiders room as the team placed none of its 12 shots on frame. The Aggies are now 16-1-1 over Tech.
NATIONAL OFFENSE
Through last weekend's games, the Aggies have the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation, leading all NCAA teams with 3.47 goals per game. Monogue is ranked 28th in points per game (1.87), 30th in goals per game (0.733), 17th in total goals (11) and 14th in total points (28). Freshman Annie Kunz sits at 28th in both total goals (10) and total points (25), while junior Beth West and freshman Katie Perry are tied at 20th in assists per game (0.54). West, Perry and senior Merritt Mathias are also tied for 23rd in the nation in total assists with seven each.
AGGIE RPI
In the most recent RPI rankings (through games of Oct. 9) the Aggies sit at No. 13, led by only Oklahoma State (No. 12) in the Big 12. A&M has consistently been in the top 25 in RPI rankings since reporting began this season.
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 seven starters and 11 letterwinners from a year ago.
FRESH TALENT
The Aggies' 10 freshmen have made a big impact on the 2011 squad. Kunz and Kelley Monogue top the team offensively, while both keepers, Renée 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 17 of A&M's 52 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).
MONOGUE ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
Monogue was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week and this week for her outstanding performance against Texas Tech. The forward scored two goals, including the game winner, against the Red Raiders.
BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK - MONOGUE
Monogue took her second conference honor this week, as she was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. The forward from McKinney, Texas, led the Aggies to a 2-0 victory over Texas Tech on Friday, scoring both goals on the way to the shutout victory. Monogue now leads the Big 12 in points (28), points per game (1.87), goals (11) and goals per game (0.73).
FIVE AGGIES ON TDS BIG 12 TOP 20 LIST
Five members of the Aggie soccer team were named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Big 12 Top 20 Player Rankings. Mathias led the team with a No. 2 ranking. No. 4 Monogue, No. 7 Rachel Lenz and No. 9 Shea Groom rounded out A&M's top-10 selections, while Kunz completed the list of Aggies at No. 14. A&M and OSU were the only two teams with five players on the list.
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.
NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE
A&M faces one of America's toughest nonconference 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. Friday's game is the Aggies' final nonconference game of the regular season.
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.