A&M Hosts No. 12 Notre Dame for a Sweet 16 Donnybrook on Sunday
Nov 22, 2014 | Soccer
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies look to advance to the NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal (Elite Eight) for the fifth time in program history as they host the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ellis Field on Sunday at 1:30 pm.
The Aggies are looking to extend numerous substantial streaks, including a six-match win streak, a seven-match NCAA Championship home win streak and a 12-match undefeated (11-0-1) streak.
The match features two of the winningest programs in the 21st century. Between 2000-2014, Notre Dame ranks second in the nation with 295 victories while Texas A&M ranks sixth with 260 wins.
The Maroon and White steamrollered through the first two rounds by a combined 12-2 margin with a 5-0 victory against Houston Baptist and a 7-2 triumph against Arizona to secure their 13th Sweet Sixteen appearance. Notre Dame has notched late goals in both of their first two tournament matches with an 89th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over Valparaiso and an 86th-minute goal in a 2-1 win against Texas.
The Aggies sported impressive numbers on the season to earn their first-ever No. 1 seed. Prior to the start of the NCAA Championship, A&M led the nation with 16 wins over RPI Top 100 opponents, while no other squad posted more than 13. The Aggies were also just one of four teams with nine or more wins over RPI Top 50 opponents.
A&M STUDENT TICKET SPECIAL
Due to the kindness of the Aggie Soccer Club, Texas A&M students who present their ID at the student entrance will receive free admission to Friday evening's contest.
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online at www.AggieAthletics.com, in person at the Zone at Kyle Field box office, or over the phone at 1-888-99-AGGIE. Tickets purchased on-line or over the phone will be delivered via Flash Seats. The card used for purchase of tickets will be swiped at the gate for admission. Fans may purchase reserved tickets for $18 (West Midfield), $15 (West Sideline) or $9 (West Goal Line), or can buy general admission tickets for $7 (Adult) or $3 (Youth or Student). Children two-and-under will be admitted free.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Sunday's match will have video streaming available to SEC Network subscribers via SEC Network Plus on the WatchESPN app and ESPN3.com. Live stats for the match will be on NCAA.com. The match airs on SportsRadio 1150 The Zone in College Station.
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AGGIES AMONG WINNINGEST SQUADS IN 21ST CENTURY
Texas A&M ranks sixth among all NCAA Division I teams in victories between 2000-14 with 260. The Aggies trail only North Carolina (311), Notre Dame (295), UCLA (290), Penn State (275) and Stanford (261). Florida State also has 260 wins since 2000.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Aggies are playing in their 20th consecutive NCAA Championship, one of five teams to play in each of the last 20 tournaments. The other schools to make it to every tournament since 1995 are North Carolina (1982-2014), Notre Dame (1993-2014), Virginia (1994-2014) and Penn State (1995-2014). A&M is 29-19-4 (.596) all-time in the NCAA Championship. The Aggies have appeared in the Sweet 16 on 13 occasions and advanced to the Elite Eight four times.
Since 1999, Texas A&M has made 12 Sweet Sixteen appearances which is tied with Stanford for fifth in the nation for highest total during that span. The Aggies trail only North Carolina (17), UCLA (16), Virginia (15), and Florida State (14) over that stretch.
Sweet 16 - 1995, '99, 2000, '01, '02 '03, '05, '06, '08, '09, '12, ' 13, '14
Elite Eight - 2001, '02, '06, '08
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ACTION AT ELLIS FIELD
The Aggies have been a tough opponent to handle in NCAA Championship action at Ellis Field. A&M owns a 22-4-1 (.833) and the Maroon and White have advanced to the next round on 23 of 27 opportunities when playing on the friendly confines. The Aggies lost two of the first three NCAA Championship games at Ellis Field, against San Diego (5-3) in 1997 and SMU (1-0) in 1998. Since 1999, A&M has gone 21-2-1 (.896) and the Maroon and White have won their last seven NCAA Championship matches at Ellis Field and 13 of their last 14. The last NCAA Championship loss for the Aggies at Ellis Field came against Texas (3-2) in 2007.
ADVANCING TO GOOD COMPANY
Texas A&M has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship in each of their last 17 appearances. It marks the fourth-longest active streak behind only North Carolina (33), Virginia (21) and UCLA (18). The Maroon and White have gone 15-0-2 during the span, advancing on PKs in 2003 (vs. SMU) and 2010 (vs. North Dakota State).
Since 1999, Texas A&M has made 12 Sweet Sixteen appearances which is tied with Stanford for fifth in the nation for highest total during that span. The Aggies trail only North Carolina (17), UCLA (16), Virginia (15), and Florida State (14) over that stretch.
PENALTY KICK HISTORY
With their penalty kick shootout against Texas Tech in last season's NCAA Championship second round, the Aggies came out on the top end of their ninth consecutive shootout. Six of the nine advances have come in NCAA Tournament play, including the 2002 NCAA Sweet 16 in which A&M scored a decision against UCLA despite not recording a shot in the 110 minutes of game action. Rachel Lenz made a penalty kick in each of the last four shootouts, including the 2010 Big 12 Quarterfinal against Colorado, NCAA First Round against North Dakota State, 2011 Big 12 Quarterfinal against Kansas and Friday's NCAA Second Round against Texas Tech.
Three current Aggies took part in last year's shootout against Texas Tech with Allie Bailey making the opening kick, followed by successful attempts by Meghan Streight and Kristi Leonard as A&M advanced 5-3.
In the 2011 Big 12 Quarterfinal against Kansas, Bailey, Annie Kunz and Streight started the Aggies' out with three straight makes en route to prevailing 5-3.
LAST TIME OUT - ARIZONA
Jordan Day made a valiant save in the 10th minute to prevent the Aggies from falling behind early and the offense responded with a tsunami of goals to give A&M a 5-0 lead at the intermission and the Maroon and White coasted to a 7-2 victory over Arizona to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive season and the 13th time in school history. The senior-driven onslaught featured two goals apiece from Allie Bailey and Kelley Monogue along with goals by Bianca Brinson, Shea Groom and Annie Kunz. It marked the most goals by A&M in an NCAA Championship match since a 7-0 win against Northwestern State in 2005.
DO-OVERS
Friday's match marked the fourth time in the last five contests that the Aggies faced a squad they played earlier in the season. All three of A&M's games in the SEC Tournament were against squads they faced during the regular-season. After going 2-0-2 against Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky and Arizona in the regular-season with a scoring margin of 8-6, A&M rolled through the squads in the post-season by a combined tally of 12-2.
RECORD SETTING 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. The seniors are 73-18-7 over the last four years, besting the school record of 72 set by the 2002 seniors.
Texas A&M's nine seniors account for 581 of the possible 1,078 starts over their career, a rate of 53.9 percent. The tally includes 90 of 264 starts (.341) in their freshman campaign of 2011, 138 of 275 starts (.502) in 2012, 177 of 275 starts (.643) in 2013 and 176 of 264 (.667) starts this season.
The corps of seven field players has served to deliver a bulk of the payload the last four seasons, accounting for 194 of the 251 goals (.773). This season, the seniors have scored 59 of the 66 goals (.894). 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 127 of the Aggies' 242 assists (.525), with the most impactful year coming this season with 43 of 58 assists (.741). The point tally for their career stands at 515 of A&M's 744 (.692).
Day and McDermott have combined for all but 32 minutes in goal the four years, accounting for all 98 starts.
WINNING
The Aggies are guaranteed they will finish the season with a winning record. A&M has finished with a winning record in all of its previous 21 seasons. The closest the Aggies have finished to the .500 mark is the 14-8 (.636) record they posted in 1998.
CONFERENCE WINNING
The Aggies have finished with a winning record in league play in all 19 years it was aligned with a conference. The closest the Aggies have finished to the .500 mark in league play is the 5-3-2 (.600) record they posted in Big 12 play in 2003. In 19 seasons of league action, A&M has finished first or second in the conference standings on 16 occasions with the other finishes coming in 1998 (3rd Big 12 - 7-2) and 2003 (5th Big 12 - 5-3-2).
GUERRIERI RANKS AMONG THE NATION'S WINNINGEST COACHES
Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri ranks among the leaders in winning percentage and victories among active Division I coaches. With a career record of 391-120-29 (.751), he ranks fifth in victories and sixth in winning percentage (minimum five years as a Division I head coach). Guerrieri ranks sixth all-time among NCAA Division I coaches in victories, trailing North Carolina's Anson Dorrance (779), Connecticut's Len Tsantiris (525), Florida's Becky Burleigh (435), Santa Clara's Jerry Smith (424) and Randy Waldrum (400), who left Notre Dame in the off-season to become head coach of the Houston Dash of the NWSL.
MONOGUE CLIMBING THE CAREER POINTS LIST
Kelley Monogue currently ranks fifth on the Aggies' career points list with 124. Against LSU, Monogue scored a goal to pass Kristen Strutz (104 - 2000-03) for fifth place on the list. She has a bit of work to do to catch Nicky Thrasher (140 - 1997-2001) for fourth 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.
GROOM CLIMBING THE CAREER POINTS LIST
Shea Groom currently ranks sixth on the Aggies' career points list with 107. In A&M's 1-0 against Kentucky, Groom became the ninth player in school history to reach the 100-point plateau. She passed Kristen Strutz (104 - 2000-03) for sixth place on the list with her one-goal, two-assist effort in A&M's 7-2 win against Arizona. She trails teammate Kelley Monogue by 17 points for fifth place on the chart.
MONOGUE SCORES 50
With her two goals against Arizona in the NCAA Championship second round, Kelley Monogue became the fifth player in school history to log 50 goals. 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 and Annie Kunz both notched a goal in the NCAA Championship second round match to move their career total to 41 and 39, respectively. Groom ranks sixth on A&M's career list, nine behind Kelley Monogue for fifth place. With her last goal, Kunz tied Melissa Garey (39 - 2004-07) for seventh place on the Aggies' career list. 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 16 this year. 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.
SERIES VS. NOTRE DAME
The two storied squads have met on just one prior occasion. Notre Dame won the meeting, 1-0, in Klein, Texas in 1999. Notre Dame played in a pair of College Cup games at Ellis Field, losing to Florida State, 3-2, in 2007 and North Carolina, 1-0, in 2009.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship, posting a 12-5-2 overall record . The Fighting Irish are now 14-5-2 after one-goal wins over Valparaiso (1-0) and Texas (2-1). The defensive-minded squad has 12 shutouts on the season along with a 0.74 goals-against average, yielding multiple goals in a match just five times on the season.
During the regular-season, Notre Dame toppled three nationally ranked squads, besting then-No. 16 Santa Clara, 2-0, then-No. 2 Virginia Tech, 2-0, on September 25 and beating then-No. 20 Clemson, 1-0, on October 23. They also played current No. 3 Stanford to a 0-0 draw on September 7.
The Fighting Irish offense sports four players with double-digits in the scoring column, paced by Morgan Andrews with 17 points on six goals and five assists. Lauren Bohaboy has a team-high seven goals to go with two assists. Anna Gilbertson (4 g, 2 a) and Kaleigh Olmsted (3 g, 4 a) both have 10 points on the year. Karin Muya, who has been limited to just 13 matches and seven starts, has nine points on three goals and three assists, tallying one of each in Notre Dame's 2-1 win over Texas on Friday.
Kaela Little has played 20 of 21 matches in goal for Notre Dame, logging 12 shutouts and a 0.68 goals-against average.
Notre Dame is one of the most storied programs in collegiate women's soccer. The Fighting Irish boast three NCAA championships (1995, 2004, 2010), have played in the championship match on eight occasions and have made 12 College Cup appearances. Notre Dame is making its 22nd straight appearance in the NCAA Championship, the third-best streak all-time in NCAA Division I women's college history.
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.
AGGIES EXTEND 15-WIN SEASON STRETCH TO 11 YEARS
With their win in the regular-season finale against Georgia, the Aggies posted their 11th consecutive 15-win season dating back to 2004. In their first 22 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.
AGGIES EQUAL SINGLE-SEASON RECORD WIN TOTAL
With their 20-2-2 record, the Aggies have tied the school for wins in a season. The Aggies finished 20-5-1 in 2002, a season in which they advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. In 2002, teams were credited with wins if they prevailed in a penalty kick shootout situation. A&M won two penalty kick shootouts during the 2002 NCAA Championship.
AGED ARSENAL
161 of the Aggies' 190 points and 59 of the 66 goals this season have been scored by seniors. Shea Groom (16), Kelley Monogue (15), Bianca Brinson (10), Allie Bailey (8), Annie Kunz (7), Meghan Streight (2) and Leigh Edwards (1) account for the 52 senior goals. Janae Cousineau (6) and Haley Pounds (1) have accounted for the seven goals not scored by seniors.
NIP-AND-TUCK
Over the last two years the Aggies have fared well in tightly contest matches, going 19-4-4 in matches decided by one goal or less. This year, in regular-season action, A&M has posted one-goal wins over Dayton (4-3), Stephen F. Austin (1-0), Florida Gulf Coast (2-1), Ole Miss (2-1), Kentucky (2-1), Arkansas (2-1) and Georgia (2-1), but played Arizona (2-2) and South Carolina (2-2) to draws and suffered a 2-1 defeat at Arizona State and 1-0 loss to Florida. The Maroon and White won their SEC Tournament semifinal match, 1-0, against South Carolina and their title match, 1-0, against Kentucky.
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.
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.
2014 ROSTER
The Aggies' 2 2-player roster features 13 upperclassmen, five sophomores, one redshirt freshman and four true freshmen. A&M's squad is guided by nine seniors. The team returns 10 starters and 18 letterwinners from a year ago.
RETURNING OFFENSE
The amount of offense the Aggies return from 2013 is staggering. A&M lost just two letterwinners, including one starter, from last season. The departure of starting defender Rachel Lenz and reserve midfielder Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar resulted in the loss of just two goals, one assist and five points from last season. The Aggies return 54 of 56 goals (96.4 percent), 47 of 48 assists (97.9) and 155 of 160 points (96.9) from last season's arsenal.
All nine players who recorded multiple goals a year ago return, including leading scorer Shea Groom (14). Liz Keester (10), Allie Bailey (9), Kelley Monogue (6) and Annie Kunz (5) are notable goal scorers returning. Other players with multiple digits in the points column to return include Bianca Brinson (3 g, 7 a) with 13 points and Karlie Mueller (0 g, 10 a) with 10 points.
RETURNING STARTERS
The Aggies return 255 of their 275 starts on the pitch from 2013 (92.7 percent). All 20 starts missing from a year ago belong to Rachel Lenz. The Round Rock product started 20 games on the backline and added one goal and one assist.
SET PIECE SUCCESS
23 of the Aggies' 66 goals this season have come on set pieces, including 10 corner kicks, 10 free kicks, two throw-ins and one penalty kick. The Maroon and White scored their lone goals in both 1-0 wins of the SEC Semifinal and Final on corner kicks. 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. The Aggies scored on two free kicks in their 7-2 win against Arizona in the NCAA Championship second round.
DUO NAMED TO MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Texas A&M seniors Shea Groom and Meghan Streight were tabbed to the 35-player preseason watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in NCAA soccer. Texas A&M is one of six schools to have multiple players named to the watch list along with Florida, Stanford, Texas Tech, UCLA and Virginia.
TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM PRESEASON TOP 100
The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies had four players listed on the TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Top 100 released on August 20. 2013 NSCAA All-America Third Team midfielder Shea Groom led the group of Aggies, listed at No. 31. Fellow seniors midfielder Kelley Monogue (No. 36), goalkeeper Jordan Day (No. 39) and defender Meghan Streight (No. 52) also spangled the Top 100. Texas A&M was one of six schools to have four or more players listed on the Top 100. UCLA led the way with eight. Florida, Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia joined A&M with four players apiece.
HIGH-SCORING TRIO
The Aggies' roster boasts three of the 20 active players with 95 or more career points. Kelley Monogue ranks sixth among all active players with 124 points. Shea Groom ranks 14th with 107 points. Annie Kunz reports in at 20th with 95 points. The only other squad with multiple players on the list is Virginia (Morgan Brian - 115; Makenzy Doniak - 112).
MAKING ELLIS FIELD A FORTRESS
On October 3, the Aggies had their 15-match home win streak snapped with a loss to Florida. The 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 9/18/2014 - 15
* - first seven matches played at Old Tiger Stadium
SHE'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT
Bianca “B.B.” Brinson has a pair of last minute goals this season that have altered the results of Aggie games. In A&M's 2-2 tie against Arizona, Brinson scored her second goal of the match with 33 seconds remaining as the Maroon and White staved off defeat. In the Aggies' home match against Kentucky, Brinson tallied a goal with 52 second remaining to send A&M to a 2-1 victory. She also scored the game-winning goal in A&M's 1-0 win over No. 17 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament semifinal match with 3:20 left in the second half.
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 11 active players in terms of matches played. Allie Bailey and Meghan Streight enter the NCAA Championship second round match tied for third among all active players with 98 matches. Kelley Monogue is in sixth place with 97 matches under her belt and Leigh Edwards ranks seventh with 96 matches. Annie Kunz and Bianca Brinson are tied for 10th place with 94 matches. Meghan Streight's 98 starts leads all active players.
Active Leaders, Matches Played
1. Kristin Grubka, Florida State - 100
2. Jamia Fields, Florida State - 99
3. Allie Bailey, Texas A&M - 98
Meghan Streight, Texas A&M - 98
Whitney Church, Penn State - 98
6. Kelley Monogue, Texas A&M - 97
7. Leigh Edwards, Texas A&M - 96
Danielle Colaprico, Virginia - 96
Emily Hurd, Penn State - 96
10. Bianca Brinson, Texas A&M - 94
Annie Kunz, Texas A&M - 94
Despite missing 12 games and 18 starts, Jordan Day ranks eighth among all active goalkeepers in minutes played with 7,067.
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.
RPI NOTES
The Aggies entered the NCAA Championship with a No. 3 ranking in the RPI released by the NCAA on November 9. Prior to the NCAA Championship, twenty of A&M's 22 opponents were in the top 100, including 13 in the Top 50. The Aggies were 16-2-2 against RPI Top 100 squads and 9-2-2 against RPI Top 50. Texas A&M led the country with 16 wins against RPI Top 100 squads and A&M was one of just four teams with nine or more wins against the RPI Top 50 (Stanford 10, Texas A&M 9, UCLA 9, West Virginia).
Texas A&M (1), Penn State (1) and Oklahoma State (0) were the only three teams to play fewer than two teams ranked outside the RPI Top 150.
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.
MONOGUE AMONG TOP ACTIVE PLAYERS IN GOALS SCORED
Kelley Monogue enters the NCAA Championship third round ranked fifth among all active players in goals scored with 50. Illinois State's Rachel Tejada leads the nation with 74, followed by Winthrop's Krystyna Freda with 63 and LaSalle's Kelsey Haycook with 60. Seattle's Stephanie Verdoia ranks fourth with 51 goals. Monogue is tied with Hofstra's Sam Scolarici and Furman's Stephanie DeVita. Monogue is the lone player remaining in NCAA Championship play.
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 Crowds - non-NCAA Tournament matches
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
ONE-TWO PUNCH
The Aggies boast one of the most prominent one-two scoring punches in the nation this season. Kelley Monogue has 40 points on the season, followed by Shea Groom with 39 points. Monogue's point tally ranks second in the SEC and 11th in the nation while Groom ranks third in the SEC and 12th in the nation. A&M is one of two teams in the nation with two players tallying at least 35 points, joined by East Tennessee State.
Monogue has 15 goals and 10 assists on the year. The 10 assists rank second in the SEC and 27th in the nation and the 15 goals rank third in the SEC and 22nd in the nation. Groom has 16 goals on the season, ranked second in the SEC and 16th in the nation.
OFFENSE EVERYWHERE
In what could be described as the most dizzying offensive attack in the nation, Texas A&M ranks fifth in the nation in goals (56), but the Aggies are the only team in the nation to boast six different players with at least six goals on the season. Shea Groom leads the attack, ranking second in the SEC and 16th in the nation with 16 goals. Kelley Monogue checks in at No. 22 nationally with 15 goals. Bianca Brinson has a career-high 10 goals on the season, including four in the last five matches. Allie Bailey (8), Annie Kunz (7) and Janae Cousineau (6) have added to the diverse attack.
MULTIPLE GOAL GAMES
The Aggies have had players record multiple goals in a game nine times this season, including Shea Groom's hat trick against Tennessee on September 18. Groom also added two goals in a 4-1 win over LSU. Kelley Monogue leads the team with four multiple goal efforts, with two goals each against Dayton and UCF in the regular-season and Houston Baptist and Arizona in the NCAA Championship. Bianca Brinson tallied two goals in a 2-2 tie against Arizona. Annie Kunz logged two goals in a 6-2 win at Vanderbilt. Allie Bailey joined Monogue in scoring two goals against Arizona in the NCAA Championship.
8/22 - Kelley Monogue (2) - DAYTON (W, 4-3)
8/29 - Kelley Monogue (2) - UCF (W, 3-0)
9/5 - Bianca Brinson (2) - vs. Arizona (T, 2-2)
9/18 - Shea Groom (3) - TENNESSEE (W, 3-0)
9/26 - Shea Groom (2) - at LSU (W, 4-1)
10/10 - Annie Kunz (2) - at Vanderbilt (W, 6-2)
11/14 - Kelley Monogue (2) - HOUSTON BAPTIST (W, 5-0)
11/21 - Allie Bailey (2) - ARIZONA (W, 7-2)
11/21 - Kelley Monogue (2) - ARIZONA (W, 7-2)
LONE STAR DOMINANCE
Since the 2008 season, the Aggies own a 21-0-5 (.904) mark against in-state rivals, including an 11-0-4 record against their former Big 12 Conference colleagues. This season, A&M is 2-0-0 against teams from Texas, toppling Stephen F. Austin 2-1 on the opening weekend and Houston Baptist, 5-0, in the first round of the NCAA Championship. Last season, A&M went 1-0-2 against Lone Star foe, topping UTSA, 1-0, in the second game of the season, tying Baylor, 0-0, in the sixth game, and tying Texas Tech, 2-2, in the NCAA Second Round, eventually advancing on penalty kicks. This year, the Aggies dropped Stephen F. Austin, 1-0, on August 24 and Houston Baptist, 5-0, in the NCAA Championship first round.
40-20 CLUB
There are nine active NCAA Division I players with 40 or more goals and 20 or more assists for their career and Texas A&M boasts two of them. Kelley Monogue has 50 goals and 24 assists and Shea Groom has 41 goals and 25 assists. The Aggies are the only squad with multiple players on the list.
DAY CLIMBING CAREER WINS LIST
Jordan Day enters Sunday's match with a career record of 57-16-6 (.759). 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.
AGGIES NOTCH THEIR 200th WIN AT ELLIS FIELD
With their 2-1 win over Kentucky, the Aggies notched their 200th win at Ellis Field. Texas A&M owns a 204-30-6 (.863) all-time record at Ellis Field (formerly Aggie Soccer Stadium). The Maroon and White have called the field home since the 1994 season, playing the inaugural 1993 season at Old Tiger Field. Since 2005, the Aggies have registered a 104-14-6 (.863) mark on the friendly pitch. Texas A&M is 211-30-6 (.866) all-time in College Station, going 7-0-0 in their one season at Old Tiger Field.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
The Aggies have a tradition of success at conference tournaments with an overall mark of 30-11-4 in league tournaments, winning seven conference tournament crowns, including back-to-back SEC titles.
A&M posted a 23-10-4 record at the Big 12 Championship and won the title in five of the tournament's first 16 years. The Aggies won titles in 1997, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2011.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING
A&M's Active Leading Scorers in NCAA Championship play
Kelley Monogue - 12 points (6 goals)
Annie Kunz - 12 points (5 goals, 2 assists)
Shea Groom - 12 points (3 goals, 6 assists)
Allie Bailey - 8 points (4 goals)
Bianca Brinson - 7 points (2 goal, 3 assists)
Meghan Streight - 5 points (2 goals, 1 assist)
Janae Cousineau - 1 point (1 assist)
Leigh Edwards - 1 point (1 assist)
Karlie Mueller - 1 point (1 assist)
AGGIES RIDING 12-MATCH UNBEATEN STRING
Texas A&M enters Sunday night's match on a 12-match unbeaten string, going 11-0-1 during the stretch. The Aggies were exactly one minute from a 12-match win streak as the Maroon and White allowed the game-tying goal to South Carolina with 1:00 showing on the clock in the second half.
Following a 1-0 loss to Florida on October 3, the Aggies rattled off five consecutive wins. The Maroon and White and South Carolina played to a 2-2 draw on October 26, before A&M strung together their current six-match win streak that includes three matches at the SEC Tournament and two matches at the NCAA Championship .
During the 12-match stretch, A&M has outscored opponents 37-10. The span has seen a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging at least 1.00 points per game during the stretch. Bianca Brinon leads the way with 20 points on seven goals and six assists. Kelley Monogue has 17 points on six goals and five assists. Annie Kunz has 17 points on six goals and five assists. Shea Groom has logged 15 points on five goals and five assists. Janae Cousineau, who has missed the last two matches, has 13 points on six goals and one assist. Allie Bailey is coming on strong with 12 goals on five goals and two assists.
PLAYING THE FIELD
Texas A&M played a bold schedule in 2014 and as a result they faced 12 of the 64 teams in the NCAA Championship field for a total of 15 matches, going 11-2-2. The challenging slate had A&M playing eventual NCAA Championship participants in six of their eight non-conference matches.
UP NEXT
The winner advances to face either Penn State or Virginia Tech on a date between November 28-30 in an NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal (Elite Eight). If Texas A&M wins, the match would be played at Ellis Field on November 29.
