Soccer preview: No. 6 Texas A&M
Oct. 28, 2010
MATCH #19: Texas (11-4-3, 4-3-2 Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (15-3-0, 8-1-0 Big 12) Texas face No. 6 Texas A&M in State Farm Lone Star Showdown ... Texas hosts its final home and regular season match of the year this Friday when it takes on sixth-ranked Texas A&M at 7 p.m. Central in the annual State Farm Lone Star Showdown. Texas is 3-4-1 when facing the Aggies at Mike A. Myers Stadium and 2-0-1 over the last three in Austin. UT in Big 12 Conference Play ... The Longhorns boast a Big 12 record of 75-30-14 (.689) since Petrucelli arrived on campus in 1999 and have finished in the top three in seven of those 10 years. Texas was picked to finish fifth in the league by this year's coaches. Horns take on Top 10 foe ... When Texas A&M comes to town on Friday, it will be the fifth ranked opponent Texas has faced this year and second in the last three matches. The Longhorns are currently 3-1 against ranked opponents this year and 2-0 at home. Texas owns a 14-6-2 record at home vs. ranked opponents since 2002. Longhorns enter NSCAA Top 25 ... With their win over fifth-ranked Oklahoma State, the Longhorns entered the NSCAA poll for the first time this season taking the No. 25 spot. Texas has been in the receiving votes category of the national coaches poll for the whole season and has been ranked in other polls such as SoccerTimes.Com and Soccer America but this is its first appearance in the main Division I poll. Getting big wins ... Texas' 1-0 triumph over No. 5 Oklahoma State marked its third shutout victory against a top 25 opponent this year, having already beaten No. 10 BYU (1-0) and No. 22 William & Mary (4-0). The three wins mark the first time since 2004 that a Texas squad has taken down three ranked opponents during the regular season. Defense stepping up in Big 12 play ... In Texas' nine Big 12 matches, the Longhorns have only allowed six goals and have posted five shutouts, for first in conference action. The six goals are the second least through nine Big 12 games that Texas has allowed since 2003 and its five shutouts tie for the most since 2002. Gaul sets sophomore record ... With her eighth shutout of the year against fifth-ranked Oklahoma State, sophomore keeper Alexa Gaul set the UT single-season sophomore shutout record. In addition, Gaul is just one shutout shy of setting the overall single-season mark. Doniak making her mark ... Junior midfielder Kylie Doniak currently had nine assists this season moving her into a tie for sixth place in UT's single-season record book. Doniak, who was the team's leading scorer in 2009, is currently in the same role with five goals and nine helpers for 21 points. Her nine assists are also the most by a Longhorn in one season since 2006. Gaul continues to pick up Big 12 accolades ... Sophomore goalkeeper Alexa Gaul racked up her second Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award in as many weeks on Oct. 19 after posting her seventh shutout of the season against Missouri. Gaul now has three league accolades on the year becoming the first Longhorn in program history to do so. Myers advantage ... Playing at home certainly has its advantages as the Longhorns are unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 matches at Myers Stadium dating back to Oct. 2, 2009. Since 2002, Texas has posted a home record of 69-8-12 (.843) since 2002 and owns a record of 88-19-12 (.790) since Myers opened in 1999.
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