DENTON, Texas – The No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies hit the road to play the North Texas Mean Green on Wednesday evening in the first of their two exhibition matches leading into the 2021 campaign.
Match time at UNT Soccer Stadium is 7 p.m. The event is free to the public. No audio or video streaming is available for the match.
Texas A&M returns 17 letterwinners from the 2020-21 campaign, including eight players who started at least 50 percent of last season's 17 matches. The returnees account for 22 of the Aggies' 33 goals from last season. The Maroon & White welcome back All-American defender Karlina Sample and fellow All-Southeast Region performer Barbara Olivieri. Other key returnees include defenders Katie Smith (1,560) and Macie Kolb (1,549) who paced the team in minutes played in 2020-21.
Olivieri, the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020, was the Aggies' leading scorer last season, logging 21 points on eight goals and five assists. Laney Carroll chipped in with nine points on three goals and three assists.
The Maroon & White also boast three goalkeepers who started multiple matches last season, all who sport goals-against averages of 1.00 or below. The trio includes Jordan Burbank (0.50), Kenna Caldwell (0.89) and Shantel Hutton (1.00).
In regular-season and postseason action, the Maroon & White are 5-0 in the all-time series. The Mean Green have been tough outs, forcing overtime on three occasions, including double OT in the last two matches. In the most recent contest, Ally Watt scored the lone goal in the 109th minute to send the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2018.
The teams met in an exhibition match in February, with the Aggies claiming a 1-0 shutout behind Olivieri's 16th minute goal and eight saves by Caldwell.
North Texas earned six votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll coming off a season in which they finished 7-3-1 and placed second in the Conference USA West with a 4-1-1 mark. The Mean Green have never had a losing season in the program's 26-year history. North Texas returns all-conference performers Allie Byrd, Brooke Lampe and Madi Starrett and welcomes Vanderbilt transfer goalie Sarah Fuller and junior college All-American midfielder Manami Okada.
Match time at UNT Soccer Stadium is 7 p.m. The event is free to the public. No audio or video streaming is available for the match.
Texas A&M returns 17 letterwinners from the 2020-21 campaign, including eight players who started at least 50 percent of last season's 17 matches. The returnees account for 22 of the Aggies' 33 goals from last season. The Maroon & White welcome back All-American defender Karlina Sample and fellow All-Southeast Region performer Barbara Olivieri. Other key returnees include defenders Katie Smith (1,560) and Macie Kolb (1,549) who paced the team in minutes played in 2020-21.
Olivieri, the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020, was the Aggies' leading scorer last season, logging 21 points on eight goals and five assists. Laney Carroll chipped in with nine points on three goals and three assists.
The Maroon & White also boast three goalkeepers who started multiple matches last season, all who sport goals-against averages of 1.00 or below. The trio includes Jordan Burbank (0.50), Kenna Caldwell (0.89) and Shantel Hutton (1.00).
In regular-season and postseason action, the Maroon & White are 5-0 in the all-time series. The Mean Green have been tough outs, forcing overtime on three occasions, including double OT in the last two matches. In the most recent contest, Ally Watt scored the lone goal in the 109th minute to send the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2018.
The teams met in an exhibition match in February, with the Aggies claiming a 1-0 shutout behind Olivieri's 16th minute goal and eight saves by Caldwell.
North Texas earned six votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll coming off a season in which they finished 7-3-1 and placed second in the Conference USA West with a 4-1-1 mark. The Mean Green have never had a losing season in the program's 26-year history. North Texas returns all-conference performers Allie Byrd, Brooke Lampe and Madi Starrett and welcomes Vanderbilt transfer goalie Sarah Fuller and junior college All-American midfielder Manami Okada.