COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies welcome the Lamar Cardinals and Rice Owls to the friendly confines of Ellis Field for matches Saturday, commencing the 2018 spring schedule.
Texas A&M plays Lamar at 3 p.m. and Rice at 7 p.m. The Aggies take an intermission at 5 p.m. as the Cardinals and Owls battle in a bird bout.
The contests will be free to spectators. With Texas A&M hosting baseball Saturday afternoon, fans may be subject to parking fees in the lots surrounding Ellis Field.
The Aggies wrapped up the 2017 season with a program-best record of 18-2-2 and an SEC Championship. The Maroon & White earned a bid to their 23rd consecutive NCAA Championship and advanced to the second round of the tournament for the 20th straight season.
Texas A&M returns 16 letterwinners from the 2017 campaign, including nine players who started at least 50 percent of last season's 22 matches. The returnees account for 34 of the Aggies' 46 goals from last season. Texas A&M welcomes back All-SEC performers Ally Watt and Kendall Ritchie. Other key returnees include SEC All-Freshman Addie McCain, Texas A&M Defensive MVP Briana Alston and starting goalkeeper Cosette Morché.
Fans will get a full preview of the 2018 squad with early enrollees Kendall Bates, Jordan Burbank, Macie Kolb, Karlina Sample and Tera Ziemer already in Aggieland.
Lamar is a familiar foe for the Aggies as the two teams met in the first round of last year's NCAA Championship with Texas A&M pulling out a 1-0 victory with an own goal in the eighth minute.
Last year the Cardinals posted their most successful season ever. Lamar went 18-4-1, including a 10-1-0 mark in Southland Conference play. The won the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament crowns and qualified for the NCAA Championship for the first time in the 11-year history of the program.
Lamar will be looking to break in a new goalkeeper as Lauren Lovejoy, who started all 23 matches in 2017, has expired her eligibility. The Cardinals retain a wealth of their offense with their three leading scorers back returning – Kelso Peskin (8 g, 11 a, 27 pts), Lucy Ashworth (4 g, 8 a, 16 pts), Madison Ledet (4 g, 7 a, 15 pts).
Rice is coached by Aggie standout Nicky (Thrasher) Adams who is in her eighth season as head coach. Last season the Owls went 12-4-2 in the regular-season and 9-0-1 in Conference USA action. The Owls lose All-American midfielder Samantha Chaiken, but they return three All-South Region players in goalkeeper Maya Hoyer (1.03 gaa, 8 sho), midfielder Louise Stephens (2 g, 1 a, 5 pts) and forward Annie Walker (4 g, 9 a, 17 pts).
Saturday is the first of five playing dates for the Aggies at Ellis Field. Friday, March 2, the Aggies host the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League in a 7:30 p.m. match. Tuesday, March 9, Texas A&M hosts the Mexico U-20 Women's National Team in an 8 p.m. tilt. The spring slate wraps up with home matches against TCU on March 24 and the University of Houston on March 30.
Texas A&M plays Lamar at 3 p.m. and Rice at 7 p.m. The Aggies take an intermission at 5 p.m. as the Cardinals and Owls battle in a bird bout.
The contests will be free to spectators. With Texas A&M hosting baseball Saturday afternoon, fans may be subject to parking fees in the lots surrounding Ellis Field.
The Aggies wrapped up the 2017 season with a program-best record of 18-2-2 and an SEC Championship. The Maroon & White earned a bid to their 23rd consecutive NCAA Championship and advanced to the second round of the tournament for the 20th straight season.
Texas A&M returns 16 letterwinners from the 2017 campaign, including nine players who started at least 50 percent of last season's 22 matches. The returnees account for 34 of the Aggies' 46 goals from last season. Texas A&M welcomes back All-SEC performers Ally Watt and Kendall Ritchie. Other key returnees include SEC All-Freshman Addie McCain, Texas A&M Defensive MVP Briana Alston and starting goalkeeper Cosette Morché.
Fans will get a full preview of the 2018 squad with early enrollees Kendall Bates, Jordan Burbank, Macie Kolb, Karlina Sample and Tera Ziemer already in Aggieland.
Lamar is a familiar foe for the Aggies as the two teams met in the first round of last year's NCAA Championship with Texas A&M pulling out a 1-0 victory with an own goal in the eighth minute.
Last year the Cardinals posted their most successful season ever. Lamar went 18-4-1, including a 10-1-0 mark in Southland Conference play. The won the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament crowns and qualified for the NCAA Championship for the first time in the 11-year history of the program.
Lamar will be looking to break in a new goalkeeper as Lauren Lovejoy, who started all 23 matches in 2017, has expired her eligibility. The Cardinals retain a wealth of their offense with their three leading scorers back returning – Kelso Peskin (8 g, 11 a, 27 pts), Lucy Ashworth (4 g, 8 a, 16 pts), Madison Ledet (4 g, 7 a, 15 pts).
Rice is coached by Aggie standout Nicky (Thrasher) Adams who is in her eighth season as head coach. Last season the Owls went 12-4-2 in the regular-season and 9-0-1 in Conference USA action. The Owls lose All-American midfielder Samantha Chaiken, but they return three All-South Region players in goalkeeper Maya Hoyer (1.03 gaa, 8 sho), midfielder Louise Stephens (2 g, 1 a, 5 pts) and forward Annie Walker (4 g, 9 a, 17 pts).
Saturday is the first of five playing dates for the Aggies at Ellis Field. Friday, March 2, the Aggies host the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League in a 7:30 p.m. match. Tuesday, March 9, Texas A&M hosts the Mexico U-20 Women's National Team in an 8 p.m. tilt. The spring slate wraps up with home matches against TCU on March 24 and the University of Houston on March 30.