COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies look to take their early season success on the road as they travel for a pair of SEC road matches. The Maroon and White venture to Baton Rouge for an evening match against LSU on Friday and after spending Saturday in Memphis they will venture to Oxford for a Sunday matinee against Ole Miss.
The Aggies are paced by the top scoring duo in the SEC in seniors Shea Groom and Kelley Monogue. Groom leads the league with eight goals followed by Monogue with seven. They are also the top two in points with Monogue registering a league-high 19 followed by Groom with 18.
Texas A&M made the same trip two years ago and earned a pair of wins, including a 1-0 victory at LSU and a 4-0 win at then-No. 22 Ole Miss. The Aggies will be looking to duplicate the results this weekend behind Renée McDermott who owns a 1.00 goals-against average and four shutouts and a backline who has allowed just 34 shots-on-goal in nine matches.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats for this weekend's matches will be on LSUSports.net and OleMissSports.com, respectively. The matches will have video streaming available to SEC Network subscribers via SEC Network+ as part of the WatchESPN app and ESPN3.com. Every match this season features free live audio on RadioAggieland and 12thMan.com.
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WHERE ARE THE AGGIES RANKED?
In week five, A&M is ranked No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire poll, down one spot from the preseason ranking, but up one spot from a week ago. The Aggies are No. 12 in the Soccer America Top 25, No. 6 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 25 and No. 10 in the BennettRank poll.
LAST TIME OUT - TENNESSEE
After losing to the Volunteers by 1-0 scores each of the last three seasons, A&M exacted a bit of revenge with a 3-0 win in the SEC opener for both squads. The win was highlighted by Shea Groom's hat trick, the second of her career and the 34th in the history of the program. Groom scored in the 20th minute with a header of a Karlie Mueller free kick and added goals in the 59th minute with a left-footer off Janae Cousineau's header on a Bianca Brinson throw-in and the 89th goal when she outmuscled a defender for 20 yards and shot from 12 yards. Renee McDermott recorded her fourth shutout of the season with two saves.
AGGIES LOOK TO EXTEND 15-WIN SEASON STRETCH TO 11 YEARS
With their 18-5-2 mark last season, the Aggies posted their 10th consecutive 15-win season dating back to 2004. In their first 21 seasons, the only two years the Aggies have not reached the 15-win plateau are 1998 (14-8) and 2003 (13-6-3). The school record for victories stands at 20, set in 2002 with a 20-5-1 mark.
DAY CLIMBING CAREER WINS LIST
Jordan Day enters the weekend with a career record of 50-16-5. She ranks third on the Aggies' career list for goalkeeper victories, trailing only Kati Jo Spisak, who owns the school record with her 69-21-6 mark from 2002-05, and Melanie Wilson who logged 66 wins from 1996-99.
NIP-AND-TUCK
Over the last two years the Aggies have fared well in tightly contest matches, going 13-3-3 in matches decided by one goal or less. This season, A&M has posted one-goal wins over Dayton (4-3), Stephen F. Austin (1-0) and Florida Gulf Coast (2-1), but played Arizona to a 2-2 draw and suffered a 2-1 defeat at Arizona State.
In 2013, Texas A&M played 14 matches decided by one goal or less, posting a 10-2-2 record in those contests. Nine of the Aggies' last 10 wins were decided by one goal, including three victories at the SEC Tournament and their NCAA Championship first round win against Utah. A&M's only blemishes in close matches were 1-0 losses against Duke and Tennessee and a 0-0 draw against Baylor. The Aggies also played to a 2-2 draw against Texas Tech in the NCAA Championship second round, but advanced to the third round on penalty kicks.
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The non-conference slate was one of the toughest on record for the Aggies. All eight opponents finished in the Top 100 in the final RPI last season, with Arizona being the lowest rated team at 83. Marquette (6), UCF (13), Stephen F Austin (51), Arizona State (60), Illinois State (66), Florida Gulf Coast (67), Dayton (70) and Arizona finished last season with an average RPI of 52 compared to last year's eight non-conference opponents owning an average RPI of 101.
FACING CHAMPIONS
Texas A&M's non-conference schedule was challenging with six of the eight opponents having won their league's regular-season title in 2013. The Aggies went 6-0 against the champions, outscoring the crop, 17-5. The defending league champions on the non-conference slate included Dayton (Atlantic 10), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), UCF (The American), Illinois State (Missouri Valley), FGCU (Atlantic Sun) and Marquette (Big East). All six teams were selected to repeat as 2014 champions in their league's respective preseason coaches' polls. The two non-conference opponents who did not win conference titles last year are Arizona and Arizona State, who both finished in the middle of the powerhouse Pac 12 Conference that produced national champion UCLA.
MONOGUE CLIMBING THE CAREER POINTS LIST
Kelley Monogue currently ranks sixth on the Aggies' career points list with 103. Monogue is one point shy of Kristen Strutz (2000-03) for fifth place on the list. Ashlee Pistorius (2004-07) owns the school record with 194 points followed by Bryn Blalack (1994-197) with 192. During her healthiest campaign, Monogue logged 47 points as a freshman in 2011. Recovering from a knee injury in 2012, the McKinney, Texas native logged 20 points. Last season, she registered 17 points as she still felt the effects of the earlier ailment.
MONOGUE CLIMBING THE CAREER GOALS LIST
With her goal against Illinois State, Kelley Monogue became the fifth player in school history to log 40 career goals. She is now up to 42 goals at Texas A&M. The McKinney native trails only Ashlee Pistorius (81 - 2004-07), Bryn Blalack (79 - 1994-97), Nicky Thrasher (57 - 1997-2001) and Kristen Koop (55 - 1993-96). Monogue was A&M's leading goal scorer as a freshman with 19 tallies in 2011. She added 10 in 2012 and six in 2013.
GROOM AND KUNZ CLIMBING THE CAREER GOALS LIST
Shea Groom enters play with 33 career goals, ninth on A&M's all-time list. Annie Kunz enters play with 32 career goals, tied with Yvette Okler (1993-96) for 10th place on the A&M all-time list. The next target on the list for the duo is Kristen Strutz (2000-03) who ranks eighth with 34 goals. Heather Ragsdale (1999-2002) is also within striking distance in seventh place with 37 goals. Kunz tallied 14 goals as a freshman and 13 as a sophomore. Hampered by an injury that held her out of four games and limited her to a reserve role most of the 2013 campaign, Kunz managed just five goals in 2013. Groom was limited by injury in her freshman campaign, with six goals in just 10 matches and added five as a sophomore, but she's come on strong the last two seasons with 14 goals in 2013 and eight this year.
GUERRIERI RANKS AMONG THE NATION'S WINNINGEST COACHES
Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri ranks among the top six in both winning percentage and victories among active Division I coaches. With a career record of 379-119-28 (.747), he ranks sixth in winning percentage (minimum five years as a Division I head coach) and fifth in victories, passing James Madison's David Lombardo (376) and William & Mary's John Daly (375) last season. Guerrieri ranks sixth all-time among NCAA Division I coaches in victories, trailing North Carolina's Anson Dorrance (769), Connecticut's Len Tsantiris (518), Florida's Becky Burleigh (425), Santa Clara's Jerry Smith (415) and Randy Waldrum (400), who left Notre Dame in the off-season to become head coach of the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League.
SERIES VS. LSU
The Aggies are 3-0-1 all-time against the Tigers, including 2-0-0 since A&M joined the SEC. All four of the meetings have come since 2009 with the first four meetings coming in the NCAA Championship. In 2009, the Aggies and Tigers played to a 1-1 draw through two overtimes in the NCAA Second Round in Baton Rouge with A&M advancing in the penalty kick shootout, 4-2. The squads met in College Station for the first round of the 2011 NCAA Championship with A&M notching a 4-0 victory. Current Aggies Kelley Monogue, Meghan Streight and Annie Kunz each scored goals in the win.
The Maroon and White's wins the last two seasons have been historic victories for the program. In 2012, the Aggies played their first-ever SEC league match in Baton Rouge with Rachel Lenz scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win. Last year, Texas A&M wrapped up a share of the SEC crown, beating LSU in the series finale at Ellis Field, 3-2. Shea Groom, Allie Bailey and Annie Kunz all scored goals in the win.
SCOUTING LSU
The Tigers enter the weekend on a three-game losing skid with two of the losses coming by one goal. LSU owns a 4-5-1 record, including a 0-1 mark in SEC play. The Tigers own non-conference wins over Troy (2-0), Northwestern State (6-2), Nicholls State (3-0) and BYU (4-3). LSU played Stephen F. Austin to a 0-0 draw and lost non-conference tilts against Rice (1-0), TCU (2-0), No. 25 Duke (1-0) and Marquette (2-1). Last Friday, the Tigers lost their league opener (3-1) at Missouri.
Jorian Baucom and Summer Clarke lead LSU with 12 points apiece as both sport five goals and two assists. Natalia Gomez-Junco has eight points on two goals and four assists. Lily Alfeld has played all 920 minutes in goal for the Tigers, sporting a 1.37 goals-against average and three shutouts.
The Tigers had four players competing at the FIFU U-20 World Cup including midfielder Emma Fletcher and defender Jordane Carvery with Canada and Alfeld and defender Megan Lee with New Zealand.
LSU finished 9-9-2 overall in 2013 and tied for sixth in the SEC with a 5-5-1 mark. The Tigers had NCAA Championship aspirations before being bounced in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
The Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Championship on four occasions (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), getting eliminated by Texas A&M twice. LSU captured four SEC Western Division titles (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011).
SERIES VS. OLE MISS
The Aggies are 2-0-0 all-time against Ole Miss with both victories coming against ranked Rebels. In 2012, the Aggies traveled to Oxford to play then-No. 22 Ole Miss and came away with a 4-0 win. Annie Kunz knocked in a pair of goals and Shea Groom and Allie Bailey each scored once while Jordan Day made seven saves in the shutout. Last season, the Aggies scored a 2-1 win over Ole Miss with Bianca Brinson scoring an unassisted goal and Shea Groom scoring on a penalty kick.
SCOUTING OLE MISS
Ole Miss enters the weekend tied with Georgia atop the SEC standings with four points, but both squads have played two matches while the rest of the league has just one contest under their belts. The Rebels are 6-2-2 overall and 1-0-1 in SEC action. Ole Miss' non-conference wins came against Iowa State (1-0), Louisiana-Lafayette (5-1), Minnesota (3-2, 2ot), Austin Peay (2-0) and Middle Tennessee State (4-0). The Rebels played Memphis to a 1-1 draw and lost at Louisville (1-0) and UCF (4-0). Ole Miss opened the season with a 1-1 tie against Georgia in the first live sporting event to air on the SEC Network. Last weekend, the Rebels beat in-state rival Mississippi State (1-0) in Starkville.
Olivia Harrison and Addie Forbus lead the Rebel attack with 12 points apiece. Harrison has a team-high six goals and Forbus boasts five goals and two assists. Kelly McCormick has played all 863 minutes in goal for Ole Miss, posting a 0.63 goals-against average with 25 saves and four shutouts.
Last season the Rebels finished 16-6-2 overall and placed fourth in the SEC with a 7-3-1 mark. Ole Miss advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship.
Ole Miss has advanced to five NCAA Championships, all since 2002. The Rebels captured three SEC Western Division titles (1999, 2000, 2005), but have never captured an overall league crown.
SEC PRESEASON POLL
Entering their third season in the SEC, the Texas A&M Aggies were selected second in the 2014 SEC Preseason Soccer Coaches' Poll. The Aggies were edged out by the Florida Gators in voting by the league's 14 head coaches. Texas A&M received 162 points (six first-place votes) and trailed only the Gators, who accumulated 164 points, including eight first-place votes. Points were compiled on a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis though each coach was not allowed to vote for their own squad.
BIG 12 ERA
The Aggies won their 12th-and-final Big 12 Championship during the 2011 conference tournament. With just 15 seconds left in the Championship match, Tournament MVP and then-freshman Kelley Monogue weaved through three defenders and ricocheted a shot off of the left post that found then-senior Megan Majewski at 18 yards from goal. Majewski fired with nine seconds on the clock and netted the 1-0 goal against Oklahoma State to win the tournament. The Aggies were the only team in the conference to earn a Big 12 Tournament berth in the first 16 years of its existence.
SENSATIONAL SENIORS
The Aggies sport one of the most impactful senior classes to ever grace a collegiate soccer field with Allie Bailey, Bianca Brinson, Jordan Day, Leigh Edwards, Shea Groom, Annie Kunz, Renee McDermott, Kelley Monogue and Meghan Streight. Texas A&M's nine seniors account for 405 of the possible 814 starts over the last three seasons, a rate of 49.8 percent. The tally includes 90 of 264 starts (.341) in their freshman campaign of 2011, 138 of 275 starts (.502) in 2012 and 177 of 275 starts (.643) in 2013.
The corps of seven field players has served to deliver a bulk of the payload the last four seasons, accounting for 135 of the 185 goals (.730). This season, the seniors have scored all five goals. As freshmen they scored 52 of A&M's 76 goals (.684) and accounted for 37 of 48 (.771) in 2012 and 41 of 56 (.732) in 2013. The class has registered 84 of the Aggies' 184 assists (.457), with the most impactful year coming last season with 29 of 48 assists (.604). The point tally for their career stands at 354 of the Maroon and White's 554 (.639).
Day and McDermott have combined to play all but 17 minutes in goal the last four seasons, accounting for all 76 starts.
THREE THIRTY-GOAL SCORERS
For the first time since the end of the 1996 campaign, the Aggies are fielding three players with 30 or more career goals. Kelley Monogue leads the triumvirate with 42 goals. Shea Groom recently went over the 30-goal mark and has scored four goals in the last two matches to increase her career tally to 33. Annie Kunz has 32 goals to round out the trio.
HIGH-SCORING TRIO
The Aggies roster boasts three of the 25 active players with 75 or more career points. Kelley Monogue ranks fifth among all active players with 103 points. Shea Groom ranks 15th with 86 points. Annie Kunz reports in at 24th with 76 points. The only other squad with multiple players on the list is Virginia with Morgan Brian in eighth with 97 points and Makenzy Doniak in 13th with 90 points.
MAKING ELLIS FIELD A FORTRESS
The Aggies enter the weekend with a 15-match home win streak. The current streak ranks fifth in A&M history for home win streaks and fourth among win streaks at Ellis Field. The team record stands at 24 in a span that crept into three campaigns, starting on October 26, 2001 and finishing on October 17, 2003.
     A&M Home Win Streaks
 1. 10/26/2001 to 10/17/2003 - 24
 2. 9/26/2006 to 11/15/2007 - 20
 3. 9/18/1995 to 11/3/1996 - 17
 4. 10/2/1993 to 9/3/1995* - 16
 5. 9/13/2013 to current - 15
  * - first seven matches played at Old Tiger Stadium
THE NCAA'S MOST EXPERIENCED SQUAD
The Aggies boast one of the most experienced squad in the nation for 2014. Currently, Texas A&M has six of the top 16 active players in terms of matches played. Allie Bailey and Meghan Streight enter the weekend tied for fourth among all active players with 83 matches. Kelley Monogue is tied for seventh place with 82 matches under her belt. Leigh Edwards is tied with Florida's Annie Speese for ninth place with 81 matches. Annie Kunz and Bianca Brinson are tied for 11th place with 79 matches.
MONOGUE AMONG TOP ACTIVE PLAYERS IN GOALS SCORED
Kelley Monogue enters the weekend ranked sixth among all active players in goals scored with 42. Illinois State's Rachel Tejada leads the nation with 61, followed by Winthrop's Krystyna Freda with 54 and LaSalle's Kelsey Haycook with 46. Stephen F. Austin's Chelsea Raymond ranks fourth with 44 goals with Hofstra's Sam Scolarici rounding out the top five with 43.
     Active Leaders, Goals Scored
 1. Rachel Tejada, Illinois State - 61
 2. Krystyna Freda, Winthrop - 54
 3. Kelsey Haycook, LaSalle - 46
 4. Chelsea Raymond, SFA - 44
 5. Sam Scolarici, Hofstra - 43
 6. Kelley Monogue, Texas A&M - 42
IRISH EYES ARE SMILING
Sophomore Grace Wright spent the summer helping the Republic of Ireland Under-19 National Team make a historic run. Ireland had never played in the previous 16 European U-19 Championship Final Tournaments played since 1998 (U-18 from 1998-2001). Wright played all 360 minutes for Ireland as they went 3-0 in pool play to advance to the semifinal where they were topped by the Netherlands. The run included wins over Sweden (2-1), Spain (1-0) and England (2-1). For her career, Wright has made 14 appearances for the national team, including two matches with the Ireland U-17 squad in qualifying for the 2012 UEFA European Championship and 12 matches with the U-19 team.
NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING
Shea Groom was one of 24 players who participated in a U.S. Soccer Under-23 Women's National Team training camp in Seattle from July 15-22. Head coach Steve Swanson's entire roster for the training camp was made up of current collegiate players or players who played their senior seasons last fall. Groom was one of 20 players selected to make a trek to La Manga, Spain to play three international matches at the Six Nations Tournament in March, but missed the tournament due to injury. She was also one of 24 players who attended a week-long U.S. Under-23 Women's National Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California in May 2013.
Karlie Mueller and Mikaela Harvey had training sessions with U.S. Soccer Women's National Teams in May. Mueller trained with the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team in Chula Vista at an eight-day camp. It was the last camp before the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Canada. Mueller was not selected for the team which was dispatched in the quarterfinals by North Korea. In 2013, Mueller was called up for three stints with the U-20 National Team, becoming the first player from South Dakota to earn a cap with a U.S. Women's National Team. Harvey also went to Chula Vista to train with the U18 squad. The camp included 24 players who will form the core of the team that will attempt to qualify for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in South Africa beginning in 2015.
ATTRACTING A CROWD
The Aggies' drew a historic crowd for their 3-0 win over #18 UCF on August 29. The crowd of 5,634 was the ninth-largest for an NCAA women's soccer regular-season match. Four of the top nine and seven of the top 18 regular-season crowds have occurred at Ellis Field.
    Largest non-NCAA Tournament crowds
 1. USC vs UCLA, Los Angeles (10/22/10) - 8,527
 2. North Carolina at Texas A&M (8/25/06) - 8,204
 3. USC vs UCLA, Los Angeles (10/25/08) - 7,804
 4. Rhode Island at Texas A&M (8/22/08) - 6,712
 5. North Carolina at Navy (9/26/03) - 6,527
 6. Syracuse at Connecticut (9/26/99) - 6,070*
 7. Notre Dame at North Carolina (9/13/98) - 6,024
 8. North Carolina at Texas A&M (8/29/08) - 5,642
 9. UCF at Texas A&M (8/29/14) - 5,634
 10. North Carolina at Portland (10/10/92) - 5,596
  * - part of doubleheader with men's squad
SET PIECE SUCCESS
Nine of the Aggies' 23 goals this season have come on set pieces, including four corner kicks, three free kicks, one throw-in and one penalty kick. A&M scored on a corner kick in each of the first four matches of the season. In their SEC opener, Shea Groom scored off a free kick and a throw-in en route to her second career hat trick.
  CORNER KICK ASSISTS: Allie Bailey (2), Kelley Monogue (1) - Monogue also scored one goal unassisted on a corner kick.
  FREE KICK ASSISTS: Karlie Mueller (2) - Monogue also scored one goal unassisted on a free kick.
  THROW-IN ASSISTS: Bianca Brinson (1)
  PENALTY KICKS: Shea Groom (1-1), Meghan Streight (0-1)
AGED ARSENAL
Fifty-seven of the Aggies' 66 points and 22 of the 23 goals this season have been scored by seniors. Shea Groom (8), Kelley Monogue (7), Bianca Brinson (3), Allie Bailey (2), Leigh Edwards (1) and Meghan Streight (1) account for the 22 senior goals.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
The Aggies boast one of the most prominent one-two scoring punches in the nation this season. Shea Groom (8) and Kelley Monogue (7) rank first and second, respectively, in the SEC in goals scored and they're tied for 11th and 20th, respectively, nationally. The Aggies are one of only four schools to have multiple players with seven or more goals on the season, joined by East Tennessee State (Hannah Short - 15; Simona Koren - 9); Louisiana Tech (Taylor Dennis - 8; Kathryn Sloan - 7); and Arizona State (Cali Farquharson - 8; Aly Moon - 7).
Monogue (19 - 7 goals and 5 assists) and Groom (18 - 8 goals and 2 assists) also rank first and second, respectively, in the SEC in points and they're tied for 13th and 15th, respectively, nationally. East Tennessee State is the only other squad with two players with 18 or more points (Hannah Short - 35; Simona Koren - 20).
MULTIPLE GOAL GAMES
The Aggies have had players record multiple goals in a game four times this season, including Shea Groom's hat trick against Tennessee on September 18. Kelley Monogue leads A&M with two multiple goal efforts, with two goals each against Dayton and UCF.
8/22Â - Kelley Monogue (2)Â DAYTONÂ - W, 4-3
8/29Â - Kelley Monogue (2)Â UCFÂ - W, 3-0
9/5 - Bianca Brinson (2) vs. Arizona - T, 2-2
9/18Â - Shea Groom (3)Â TENNESSEEÂ - W, 3-0
30-20 CLUB
Shea Groom is one of seven active players in the nation with 30 or more goals and 20 or more assists for their career.
   Player, School (G/A)
1. Rachel Tejada, Illinois State... (61/36)
2. Kelsey Haycook, LaSalle... (46/22)
3. Daphnee Corboz, Georgetown... (40/27)
4. Cloe Lacasse, Iowa... (38/24)
5. Morgan Brian, Virginia... (32/33)
6. Stephanie McCaffrey, Boston College... (32/27)
7. Shea Groom, Texas A&M... (33/20)
UP NEXT
The Aggies return home to face defending co-champion Florida in a 7 pm match next Friday at Ellis Field.