COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies will attempt to continue a historic season as they host the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions in an NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal (Elite Eight) match at 7 pm Saturday.
It marks the fifth time the Maroon and White will play in the Elite Eight, but Saturday is the first time the Aggies will host such match. A victory would give A&M their first-ever trip to the Women's College Cup.
The Aggies are looking to extend numerous substantial streaks, including a seven-match win streak, an eight-match NCAA Championship home win streak and a 13-match undefeated (12-0-1) streak.
The match features two of the winningest programs in the 21st century. Between 2000-2014, Penn State ranks fourth in the nation with 276 victories while Texas A&M ranks sixth with 261 wins.
A&M 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. They needed an 82nd minute goal by Kelley Monogue to beat Notre Dame, 2-1, in the third round match at Ellis Field. After a decisive 4-1 win over Buffalo in the opening round, Penn State has a pair of one-goal victories over Connecticut (1-0 - 7th minute goal) and Virginia Tech (2-1 - winning goal in 71st minute) to advance to Saturday's match.
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
Saturday'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 261. The Aggies trail only North Carolina (311), Notre Dame (295), UCLA (291), Penn State (276) and Stanford (262). Florida State also has 261 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 30-19-4 (.604) all-time in the NCAA Championship. The Aggies have appeared in the Sweet 16 on 13 occasions and advanced to the Elite Eight five 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, '14
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 23-4-1 (.839) and the Maroon and White have advanced to the next round on 24 of 28 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 22-2-1 (.900) and the Maroon and White have won their last eight NCAA Championship matches at Ellis Field and 14 of their last 15. The last NCAA Championship loss for the Aggies at Ellis Field came against Texas (3-2) in 2007.|
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 - NOTRE DAME
The Aggies staved off a late surge by Notre Dame to post a 2-1 win over the Fighting Irish and land a spot in the NCAA Championship quarterfinal round for the fifth time in school history. For the third consecutive match, Kelley Monogue put the biscuit in the basket on two occasions to lead the arsenal. In the seventh minute, Monogue bent in a corner kick from the left arc to give A&M a 1-0 lead. The Maroon and White held off a Notre Dame offensive barrage in the latter half of the opening stanza to take the lead into the intermission. The Fighting Irish knotted the game at 1-1 in the 72nd minute on a corner kick score of their own, but Monogue pounced on a poor clearance by the Notre Dame defense and scored from 18 yards out in the 82nd minute for the game-winning goal.
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 74-18-7 over the last four years, besting the school record of 72 set by the 2002 seniors.
Texas A&M's nine seniors account for 589 of the possible 1,089 starts over their career, a rate of 54.1 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 184 of 275 (.669) starts this season.
The corps of seven field players has served to deliver a bulk of the payload the last four seasons, accounting for 196 of the 253 goals (.775). This season, the seniors have scored 61 of the 68 goals (.897). 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 519 of A&M's 748 (.694).
Day and McDermott have combined for all but 32 minutes in goal the four years, accounting for all 99 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 393-120-29 (.752), 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 (436), 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 128. 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. She added two more goals against Notre Dame to up her career tally to 52. 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. PENN STATE
The Aggies are looking for their first victory against Penn State, going 0-3-2 in the prior five meetings against the Nittany Lions. This marks the third time the teams have met in NCAA Championship action, with the first two meetings both being third round matches played in State College, Pennsylvania. In 2003, the Nittany Lions toppled the Aggies, 3-0, and, in 2005, Penn State was victorious, 4-1. The teams played a home-and-home set in 2006 (College Station) and 2007 (State College) with both matches ending in 1-1 draws. The first match in the series came in 2000, with Penn State winning a 2-1 decision in Klein, Texas.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship, posting a 17-3-0 overall record. The Nittany Lions won the Big Ten regular-season title with a 12-1-0 league ledger. Penn State is now 20-3-0 and the defensive-minded Nittany Lions have yielded just 16 goals on the season. The only opponent to score more than one goal against Penn State is Duke, who lost to the Nittany Lions, 4-3, on September 5. All three of Penn State's losses came by 1-0 scores, against North Carolina, Rutgers and Northwestern.
The Nittany Lions boast eight players with double-digits lin the points column, led by Mallory Weber with 22 points on eight goals and six assists. Frannie Couse has a team-high 10 goals along with one assist for 21 points. Megan Schafer has 18 points on six goals and six assists and Racquel Rodrigurez checks in with 17 points on seven goals and three assists. Kori Chapic (15 points), Salina Williford (14), Emily Ogle (12) and Emily Hurd (12) round out the assault. Britt Eckerstrom has started all 23 matches, posting eight shutouts and a 0.60 goals-against average.
Penn State is one of the most storied programs in collegiate women's soccer. The Nittany Lions boast four College Cup appearances (1999, 2002, 2005, 2012), advancing to the championship match in 2012, a 2-1 loss to North Carolina. Penn State is making its 20th straight appearance in the NCAA Championship, the fifth-best streak all-time in NCAA Division I women's college history. This marks their 10th NCAA Championship quarterfinal appearance, going 4-5 in the nine prior matches.
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 SET SINGLE-SEASON RECORD WIN TOTAL
With their 2-1 win against Notre Dame, the Aggies set a new school record with their 21st victory of the season, eclipsing the 20 wins amassed in 2002. That season, the Aggies finished 20-5-1, advancing to the NCAA Championship quarterfinal round. 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
165 of the Aggies' 194 points and 61 of the 68 goals this season have been scored by seniors. Kelley Monogue (17), Shea Groom (16), Bianca Brinson (10), Allie Bailey (8), Annie Kunz (7), Meghan Streight (2) and Leigh Edwards (1) account for the 61 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 20-4-4 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. After a pair of five-goal wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA Championship, A&M edged Notre Dame, 2-1.
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.
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
24 of the Aggies' 68 goals this season have come on set pieces, including 11 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. In the 2-1 win over Notre Dame in the third round, Monogue put a corner kick in on her own with a bender from the left arc.
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 128 points. Shea Groom ranks 15th 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 - 122; Makenzy Doniak - 122).
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 99 matches. Kelley Monogue is in sixth place with 98 matches under her belt and Leigh Edwards ranks seventh with 97 matches. Annie Kunz and Bianca Brinson are tied for 10th place with 95 matches. Meghan Streight's 99 starts leads all active players.
Active Leaders, Matches Played
1. Kristin Grubka, Florida State - 101
2. Jamia Fields, Florida State - 100
3. Allie Bailey, Texas A&M - 99
Meghan Streight, Texas A&M - 99
Whitney Church, Penn State - 99
6. Kelley Monogue, Texas A&M - 98
7. Leigh Edwards, Texas A&M - 97
Danielle Colaprico, Virginia - 97
Emily Hurd, Penn State - 97
10. Bianca Brinson, Texas A&M - 95
Annie Kunz, Texas A&M - 95
Despite missing 12 games and 18 starts, Jordan Day ranks seventh among all active goalkeepers in minutes played with 7,157.
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.
MONOGUE AMONG TOP ACTIVE PLAYERS IN GOALS SCORED
Kelley Monogue enters the NCAA Championship quarterfinal ranked fourth among all active players in goals scored with 52. 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. 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 No. 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 44 points on the season, followed by Shea Groom with 39 points. Monogue's point tally ranks second in the SEC and 10th in the nation while Groom ranks third in the SEC and 14th 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 17 goals and 10 assists on the year. The 10 assists rank second in the SEC and 27th in the nation and the 17 goals rank second in the SEC and 11th in the nation. Groom has 16 goals on the season, ranked second in the SEC and 19th in the nation.
OFFENSE EVERYWHERE
In what could be described as the most dizzying offensive attack in the nation, Texas A&M ranks third in the nation in goals (68). The Aggies are one of only two teams (Virginia) in the nation to boast six different players with at least six goals on the season, and the only squad with three players with 10 or more goals. Kelley Monogue leads the attack, ranking second in the SEC and 11th in the nation with 17 goals. Shea Groom ranks third in the SEC and 19th in the nation with 16 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 10 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 five multiple goal efforts, with two goals each against Dayton and UCF in the regular-season and Houston Baptist, Arizona and Notre Dame 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)
11/23 Kelley Monogue (2) - NOTRE DAME (W, 2-1)
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 52 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 Saturday's match with a career record of 58-16-6 (.763). 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 205-30-6 (.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 105-14-6 (.864) mark on the friendly pitch. Texas A&M is 212-30-6 (.867) 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 - 16 points (8 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 13-MATCH UNBEATEN STRING
Texas A&M enters Saturday night's match on a 13-match unbeaten string, going 12-0-1 during the stretch. The Aggies were exactly one minute from a 13-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 seven-match win streak that includes three matches at the SEC Tournament and three matches at the NCAA Championship.
During the 13-match stretch, A&M has outscored opponents 39-11. The span has seen a balanced scoring attack with six players logging double-digits in the scoring column during the stretch. Kelley Monogue has 23 points on nine goals and five assists. Bianca Brinson leads the way with 20 points on seven goals and six 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.
AGGIES AT THE ELITE EIGHT
In 2008, the Aggies came nine minutes from advancing to the College Cup. Laura Robinson scored a goal in the 81st minute to give A&M a 1-0 lead against North Carolina, but the Tar Heels responded with a goal in the 82nd minute and notched the double-overtime game-winner in the 102nd minute.
In 2006, A&M scored go-ahead goals in the 30th minute and 55th minute, but North Carolina tallied an equalizer in the 62nd minute and game-winner in the 74th minute of a 3-2 win.
The Aggies first two trips to the Elite Eight resulted in three-goal losses, at Portland in 2001 (4-1) and North Carolina (3-0) in 2002.
December 2, 2001 at #3 Portland L, 1-4
November 29, 2002 at #2 North Carolina L, 0-3
November 25, 2006 at #1 North Carolina L, 2-3
November 28, 2008 at #3 North Carolina L, 1-2 2ot
UP NEXT
The winner advances to the Women's College Cup in Boca Raton, Florida. Their semifinal match would be against the winner of the quarterfinal match between UCLA and Virginia with the contest to be played on December 5.
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