2002 Aggie Soccer: Something Special?
By: Steve Miller, Special to AggieAthletics.com
--Extra Points with Steve Miller appears throughout the Texas A&M athletics season and is generally posted every other week.
Since the day the Texas A&M soccer team joined the Athletics Department family in 1993, the success and notoriety that coach G. Guerrieri has brought to the team and the campus has been more than impressive.
Head Coach G. Guerrieri once again has Texas A&M sitting high in the polls and gunning for yet another conference title.
Coach G. has led the Aggies to seven consecutive NCAA Championship Tournament appearances, three Big 12 Championships (one regular season and two tournament titles), three consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 and a visit to the Elite Eight last year.
Overall, Coach G. ranks ninth on the list of Division I-A winningest active head coaches with a 176-57-5 record.
Impressive indeed.
Throughout the last 10 years in Aggieland, A&M has beaten the best teams, maintained a top-25 ranking and been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament.
No matter the opponent's ranking, or the number of national championships won, Coach G. continually schedules the toughest opponents for his squad.
The 2002 Aggies have been ranked has high as No. 3 nationally, and have already faced opponents currently ranked first, second and fifth in the country.
In the midst of all the Aggie soccer team's success and championships, two teams and their respective home fields always seem to hold the upper hand when A&M pays a visit.
Until this past Sunday, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had never lost in five matches with the Aggies in Lincoln. Those were not just Big 12 regular season match-ups, but in 1998 and 1999, they were season-ending contests in the NCAA Tournament.
Five times the Aggies made the trip back to the Omaha airport disappointed, but not this time.
The 6th-ranked Aggies paid a visit to Lincoln over the weekend and came away with their first win in the Husker nation.
With the match tied at two, sophomore Linsey Woodard scored the goal that would send the Aggies home victorious.
There have been many great soccer teams in Aggieland that have tried to win in Lincoln, but it had never happened.
Not that those teams lacked talent or skills…quite the contrary. Many of those teams had All-Americans, dominant scorers and stingy defenders.
So, what is the difference? It may be too early to tell…or is it?
The next piece to the 2002 puzzle is revealed this Friday night at the other pitch (that's a soccer field) that has caused the Aggies discomfort over the years.
A&M will travel North on Highway 6 to face the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco at the Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field on Friday.
The Aggies' three visits to Waco since 1997 have produced a trio of one-goal losses. One was in overtime in 1997 with a controversial goal early in the game. The other two? Well, A&M was just outscored.
There has been a lot of reason to smile of late at the Aggie Soccer Complex, as the 6th-ranked Aggies are riding a 7-game win streak into this weekend's play.
This Friday, that all changes. Just as it did Sunday in Lincoln.
As the season progresses, Aggie fans will continue to hear more about the soccer team. The team will continue doing what they've done for nine previous years with Coach G., and that's win.
But this season, the Aggies have Austin in the back of their minds.
No, the Aggies aren't going to the Capital City to face the Longhorns. In fact, Texas comes to College Station in search of its first win over the Aggies. You see, the Aggies have never lost to the 'Horns in 13 previous meetings.
Austin is on the Aggies' minds because Texas will serve as host for this year's College Cup (that's the final four).
Not that the math is that tough, but that's a place the Aggies have never lost.
The 2002 Aggies could care less about these trivial facts-they're just looking for their next win en route to another Big 12 Championship. The road continues Friday at 7 p.m.
Don't be the fan that just heard about what the highest ranked team on campus was accomplishing this season. Be a part of the tradition of excellence that is Aggie soccer.
This weekend was made for the traveling Aggie fan.
One city: Waco.
Two teams: soccer and football.
One goal: Beat Baylor.
There just may be something special brewing with this Aggie soccer team.
By: Steve Miller, Special to AggieAthletics.com
--Extra Points with Steve Miller appears throughout the Texas A&M athletics season and is generally posted every other week.
Since the day the Texas A&M soccer team joined the Athletics Department family in 1993, the success and notoriety that coach G. Guerrieri has brought to the team and the campus has been more than impressive.
Head Coach G. Guerrieri once again has Texas A&M sitting high in the polls and gunning for yet another conference title.
Coach G. has led the Aggies to seven consecutive NCAA Championship Tournament appearances, three Big 12 Championships (one regular season and two tournament titles), three consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 and a visit to the Elite Eight last year.
Overall, Coach G. ranks ninth on the list of Division I-A winningest active head coaches with a 176-57-5 record.
Impressive indeed.
Throughout the last 10 years in Aggieland, A&M has beaten the best teams, maintained a top-25 ranking and been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament.
No matter the opponent's ranking, or the number of national championships won, Coach G. continually schedules the toughest opponents for his squad.
The 2002 Aggies have been ranked has high as No. 3 nationally, and have already faced opponents currently ranked first, second and fifth in the country.
In the midst of all the Aggie soccer team's success and championships, two teams and their respective home fields always seem to hold the upper hand when A&M pays a visit.
Until this past Sunday, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had never lost in five matches with the Aggies in Lincoln. Those were not just Big 12 regular season match-ups, but in 1998 and 1999, they were season-ending contests in the NCAA Tournament.
Five times the Aggies made the trip back to the Omaha airport disappointed, but not this time.
The 6th-ranked Aggies paid a visit to Lincoln over the weekend and came away with their first win in the Husker nation.
With the match tied at two, sophomore Linsey Woodard scored the goal that would send the Aggies home victorious.
There have been many great soccer teams in Aggieland that have tried to win in Lincoln, but it had never happened.
Not that those teams lacked talent or skills…quite the contrary. Many of those teams had All-Americans, dominant scorers and stingy defenders.
So, what is the difference? It may be too early to tell…or is it?
The next piece to the 2002 puzzle is revealed this Friday night at the other pitch (that's a soccer field) that has caused the Aggies discomfort over the years.
A&M will travel North on Highway 6 to face the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco at the Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field on Friday.
The Aggies' three visits to Waco since 1997 have produced a trio of one-goal losses. One was in overtime in 1997 with a controversial goal early in the game. The other two? Well, A&M was just outscored.
There has been a lot of reason to smile of late at the Aggie Soccer Complex, as the 6th-ranked Aggies are riding a 7-game win streak into this weekend's play.
This Friday, that all changes. Just as it did Sunday in Lincoln.
As the season progresses, Aggie fans will continue to hear more about the soccer team. The team will continue doing what they've done for nine previous years with Coach G., and that's win.
But this season, the Aggies have Austin in the back of their minds.
No, the Aggies aren't going to the Capital City to face the Longhorns. In fact, Texas comes to College Station in search of its first win over the Aggies. You see, the Aggies have never lost to the 'Horns in 13 previous meetings.
Austin is on the Aggies' minds because Texas will serve as host for this year's College Cup (that's the final four).
Not that the math is that tough, but that's a place the Aggies have never lost.
The 2002 Aggies could care less about these trivial facts-they're just looking for their next win en route to another Big 12 Championship. The road continues Friday at 7 p.m.
Don't be the fan that just heard about what the highest ranked team on campus was accomplishing this season. Be a part of the tradition of excellence that is Aggie soccer.
This weekend was made for the traveling Aggie fan.
One city: Waco.
Two teams: soccer and football.
One goal: Beat Baylor.
There just may be something special brewing with this Aggie soccer team.