COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 22nd-ranked Texas A&M soccer team travels to Austin Friday to face Texas in the Aggies' final match of the regular season. With a possible conference championship on the line, the Aggies will play the Longhorns at 6 p.m. at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
A&M ranks second in the Big 12, just one point behind Oklahoma State, who holds a No. 2 national ranking. Last weekend the Aggies played a 0-0 draw with the Cowgirls and, if OSU loses to or ties with Texas Tech in Stillwater on Thursday, A&M will battle for at least a share of the regular season Big 12 title against Texas the following evening.
Fans wanting to catch the action this weekend can listen to the game live online at AggieAthletics.com. Live stats will also be available through the A&M web site. Fans wishing to watch the match live can see the game on The Longhorn Network, or online by following the link on the Aggie soccer schedule.
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
The winner of Friday's game will earn half-of-a-point for their school in the 2011-12 State Farm Lone Star Showdown. The contest between A&M and Texas was started in 2004 and envelops the rivalry between the two schools with competitions in each NCAA-sanctioned event between the Aggies and the Longhorns. A total of 19 points can be earned each year. After a volleyball match in Austin, the Longhorns lead the year-long series, ½-0.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats and live audio will be available for the match this weekend on AggieAthletics.com. Fans wanting to watch the game can view it live on The Longhorn Network, or online by clicking on the schedule link on AggieAthletics.com.
FOLLOW @AGGIESOCCER ON TWITTER
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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 neck-and-neck in the conference, with OSU leading with 17 points and A&M trailing with 16. Baylor also has 16 points but is done with the season. Because the Aggies defeated the Bears head-to-head, Baylor will finish in third place with A&M and OSU claiming first and second in the conference.
The Cowgirls host Texas Tech on Thursday in Stillwater. If OSU loses, the Aggies have a chance at sole ownership of the trophy. If OSU ties with TTU, A&M can still share the regular season title. A win by the Cowgirls will put the Aggies in second place, claiming the No. 2 seed for the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio next week.
OUR GAME MAGAZINE GAME OF THE WEEK
Friday's game has been selected by Our Game Magazine as the Match of the Week for week 11. The A&M-Texas soccer rivalry began in 1993 and has sparked national interest. Go to OurGameMagazine.com and click "Match of the Week" to read the preview.
SCOUTING TEXAS
The Longhorns are coming off of a 1-0 victory over Seattle and are 10-6-1 this season, posting a 3-3-1 Big 12 mark to rank fifth in the conference. Senior Kylie Doniak and junior Hannah Higgins lead the team offensively with 14 points each. Doniak, the team's top scorer, has netted five goals and contributed four assists. Higgins has assisted eight goals and owns three. Junior goalkeeper Alexa Gaul has spent over 1,500 minutes in goal for the Longhorns, allowing 18 goals while grabbing 56 saves in 17 matches. Gaul has six shutouts under her belt this season, and was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week in Sept. Doniak was selected as the conference's Offensive Player of the Week one week earlier.
THE SERIES
The Aggies and Longhorns have met every season since the A&M program began in 1993. A&M holds a 19-5-2 advantage over Texas. Last year, the teams met in Austin after the Aggies were guaranteed a share of the Big 12 title. A 1-1 draw gave A&M sole possession of the Big 12 trophy. A&M senior Alyssa Mautz scored in the 12th minute to give the Aggies a quick 1-0 lead, but Doniak struck the ball a minute later to even the score.
LAST TIME OUT - OKLAHOMA AND OKLAHOMA STATE
The Aggies defeated Oklahoma, 3-0, and tied with No. 2 Oklahoma State, 0-0, at home last weekend. Freshman Kelley Monogue scored two goals and assisted the third, netted by freshman Annie Kunz, in the victory over Oklahoma. The Aggies hosted the Cowgirls on ESPNU last Sunday, and battled to a 0-0 draw. A&M goalkeeper Jordan Day made eight saves on the match for her second-consecutive shutout.
NATIONALLY RANKED
The Aggies have been either ranked or receiving votes in national top-25 polls every week for the past 16 years. A&M is currently ranked 23rd in the NSCAA/adidas and is 22nd in the Soccer Times polls. The team is also ranked No. 14 among TopDrawerSoccer.com's list of 64 tournament teams.
NATIONAL OFFENSE
Through last weekend's games, the Aggies have the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation, leading all-but-one NCAA team with 3.39 goals per game. Monogue is ranked 12th in points per game (2.11) and goals per game (0.833), eighth in total goals (15) and ninth in total points (38). Senior Merritt Mathias and junior Beth West are tied for 25th in assists per game (0.5), and Mathias sits at 20th in total assists with nine. Monogue and West tie for 30th in total assists with eight each.
AGGIE RPI
In the most recent RPI rankings (through games of Oct. 26) the Aggies sit at No. 17, led by only Oklahoma State (No. 9) and Baylor (No. 13) 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. Monogue and Annie Kunz top the team offensively, while both goalkeepers, Renée McDermott and 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 18 (70 percent) of A&M's 61 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).
KICKIN' KELLEY
Monogue is working her way into the record books as a freshman. The forward from McKinney, Texas, leads the Big 12 in all games in points (38), points per game (2.11), goals (15) and goals per game (0.83). Monogue was also named a Big 12 Player of the Week for the fourth time in five weeks. The freshman's 15 goals and 38 points are the most of any A&M player in a single season since 2007.
BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - MONOGUE AND DAY
Monogue took her fourth conference honor in five weeks as she was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. She led the Aggies to a 3-0 victory over Oklahoma on Friday at Ellis Field, scoring two goals and assisting the third. Day grabbed 14 saves on the weekend for two shutouts and earned her first conference honor when she was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
DAY NAMED CS360 PRIMETIME PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Day's first weekly honor came Monday when she was named the Primetime Player of the Week by CollegeSoccer360.com. The award was the first of Day's career and the first national Player-of-the-Week award of any A&M player this season. In Big 12 games, Day leads the conference in save percentage (.941) and ranks second in goals against average (0.32), shutouts (4) and shutouts per game (0.57).
CONFERENCE LEADERS
The Aggies lead the Big 12 in overall statistics in several categories as a team, including shots (402), points (196), goals (61), goals per game (3.39), assists (74) and assists per game (4.11). Mathias sits at second in the league in all games in shots (75), shots per game (4.17), assists (9) and assists per game (0.50), while Monogue tops the competition in points (38), points per game (2.11), goals (15) and goals per game (0.83). Kunz is second in all games in points (28) and goals (11), and West ties with Mathias for second in assists per game (0.50) and is third in total assists with Monogue, recording eight each.
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
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.
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.
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT
Depending on the outcome of this weekend's Big 12 matches, the Aggies will enter the 2011 Big 12 Tournament as either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The tournament will take place at the Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio again this year, on Nov. 2 (quarterfinals), 4 (semifinals) and 6 (championship). To purchase tickets, visit www.sanantoniosports.org or call (210) 820-2100. Day passes are available for $7, while three-day tournament passes are $12 and 20-ticket team packages cost $99. For more information, visit www.Big12Sports.com.