No. 9 Soccer earns third seed in 2006 Big 12 Soccer Championship
DALLAS -- With every Big 12 soccer program finishing the regular season by Saturday, Oct. 28, the participating teams and pairings are set for the 2006 Big 12 Soccer Championship. Texas, who earned the third seed in the tournament, will face sixth-seeded Nebraska in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. (Central). Texas A&M is the highest seed in the eight-team tournament, finishing with an 9-1-0 record, with the lone loss coming against Texas. Oklahoma State and Texas have identical records at 8-1-1 but OSU is second because the Cowgirls won the head-to-head contest over the Longhorns. Kansas and Colorado are fourth and fifth. Nebraska is sixth while Oklahoma and Baylor are seventh and eighth, respectively, rounding out the qualifiers for the tournament. The Longhorns have had one of the best seasons in program history, entering the tournament with a 15-3-1 overall record and an 8-1-1 conference mark. Texas has dominated its opponents, boasting a 4-1 record against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the national soccer polls. UT will take a seven-match win streak into the quarterfinal match with the Huskers. UT rewrote the record books, setting the program record for most wins in the regular season with 15 and winning seven games on the road for the first time in Texas history. Head coach Chris Petrucelli broke a record himself, became the first Longhorns soccer coach to win 100 matches on the Forty Acres. Nebraska boasts a 10-6-3 overall record and is 4-5-1 in conference play. The Huskers registered wins in conference over Baylor, Oklahoma. Texas Tech and Missouri. Nebraska is led by reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Brittany Timko, who leads the league in assists and points. Nebraska holds the advantage in all-time record at 7-8-0. The two programs have met twice in the postseason. In 2004, the same year the Longhorns advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, Texas shut-out Nebraska, 2-0, in the quarterfinal match. The second meeting came in 2002, when Nebraska beat UT in overtime, 2-1 to end the Longhorns chance for a title. The Longhorns beat Nebraska earlier this season, winning its record-setting seventh road game of the season with a 2-1 decision over Nebraska. UT used goals by juniors Kelsey Carpenter and Caitlin Kennedy to win on Oct. 15, 2006 in front of 351 fans in Lincoln, Neb. Junior Kelsey Carpenter enters the tournament as the Texas team leader in goals and points while senior captain Carrie Schmit has the most assists on the team with six. Goalkeepers Dianna Pfenninger and Dana Hall combined for seven shuts, a goals against average of 0.82 and 14 wins this year. Prior to this year's qualification, UT has played in ten Big 12 Conference Championships, making it to the championship match twice, in 2001 and 2004, since playing in the first game in 1996. The Longhorns have won four of the last five quarterfinal matches and are 4-3 under current head coach Chris Petrucelli. The Big 12 Soccer Championship will be held at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, for the 10th consecutive Season. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster statewide in Texas. Prices are $6 per session, $12 for a three-day pass or $99 for a team pack of 20 tickets.
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