The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Soccer preview: Missouri and Kansas
10.17.2007 | Soccer
MATCH #15: No. 6 Texas Longhorns (10-2-2, 3-1-1 Big 12) vs. No. 12 Missouri Tigers (10-3-0, 4-1-0 Big 12)
When: Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 at 7 p.m. CT
Where: Austin, Texas (Mike A. Myers Stadium; 20,000 capacity)
SERIES INFO
All-time Series Record: Texas leads the series 9-3-1.
First Meeting: Texas lost 1-0 on Sept. 13, 1996 in Austin, Texas.
Last Meeting: Texas won 1-0 on Oct. 20, 2006 in Austin, Texas.
Last Missouri Victory: Missouri won 3-1 on Nov. 5, 1998 in San Antonio, Texas.
Current Streak: Texas has won the last eight meetings.
Petrucelli vs. MU: Petrucelli is 8-0-1 against the Tigers.
MATCH #16: No. 6 Texas Longhorns (10-2-2, 3-1-1 Big 12) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (3-9-3, 1-5-1 Big 12)
When: Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007 at 1 p.m. CT
Where: Austin, Texas (Mike A. Myers Stadium; 20,000 capacity)
SERIES INFO
All-time Series Record: Texas leads the series 10-1-1.
First Meeting: Texas won 4-0 on Sept. 15, 1996 in Austin, Texas.
Last Meeting: Texas won 1-0 on Oct. 6, 2006 in Lawrence, Kan.
Last Kansas Victory: Kansas won 2-1 on Oct. 23, 2005 in Lawrence, Kan.
Current Streak: Texas has won seven of the last eight meetings.
Petrucelli vs. KU: Petrucelli is 7-1-1 against the Jayhawks.
TICKETS
Individual Match Tickets (All seating is general admission)
- Adult General Admission: $7
- Senior Citizen and Youth General Admission: $4
- UT Faculty/Staff General Admission: $4
Purchase at: TexasBoxOffice.com; Bellmont Hall Athletics Ticket Office (Monday-Friday 9 a.m-4 p.m.); Frank Erwin Center Box Office (Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.); Mike A. Myers Stadium (game-day 60 minutes prior to the start of the contest); Athletics Ticket Office phone: 512-471-3333 or 800-982-BEVO Group
Tickets:
$2 per ticket for any group of 10 or more to ANY Texas Soccer home match
GAME PROMOTIONS
Soccer vs. Missouri
- $3 general admission with Web coupon [PDF]
- Petrucelli's Playground: Get to the match early for moonwalks, inflatable slides, FREE face painting, and FREE snowcones.
Soccer vs. Kansas
- Camper Reunion: The first 25 campers from the 2007 Texas Soccer Camps who visit the Texas Athletics table will receive a Texas Soccer prize pack.
LONGHORNS UPDATE
Texas Heads Down Home Stretch
Texas hosts two of its final three home opponents this weekend. The Longhorns face their third nationally-ranked team of the year in No. 12 Missouri at 7 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, Oct. 19. On Sunday, Oct. 21, the Kansas Jayhawks come to Austin for a 1 p.m. (CDT) match.
Texas enters the weekend with an unbeaten record in seven of its last eight games. That stretch includes five of its seven overall home wins as the Longhorns are 7-0-1 this year at Mike A. Myers Stadium. UT is three wins shy of tying the all-time record of 10 home victories during the 2004 season.
The Tigers enter the match in second place in the Big 12 conference with 12 points. MU opened the season with an eight-match winning streak but has since taken a downturn with a 2-3 mark in its last five contests.
Kansas is on a tear coming into Sunday's contest, as the Jayhawks are unbeaten in four of their last six decisions.
Weekend Recap
The Longhorns split the weekend, dropping a physical, 2-0 decision at No. 5 Texas A&M in College Station on Friday, Oct. 12, and winning 1-0 over Baylor on Sunday, Oct. 14. Against the Aggies, UT was whistled for four yellow cards in dropping its first Big 12 match of the season. The Longhorns responded to the loss with a win over the Bears in Waco. Junior defender Kasey Moore (Mission Viejo, Calif.) scored her third game-winner and sixth overall of the season to lift UT over BU on the road.
UT-Missouri Series Information
Texas has won nine of 13 matches against the Tigers since the two teams first met on Sept. 13, 1996. After losing three of the first five meetings, UT won eight consecutive matches including two victories at the Big 12 Soccer Championships in 1998 and 2001. Texas holds the advantage at home as UT is 5-1-0 against MU at Myers Stadium.
Texas-Kansas Series Information
With Sunday's meeting, The Longhorns and Jayhawks will play for the 13th time on the soccer pitch. UT has won 10 of 12 matches in the series, carrying a 10-match unbeaten streak into Sunday's contest. The Longhorns won or tied the first 10 matches in the all-time history before Kansas picked up its first win -- a 2-1 contest in Lawrence, Kan., on Oct. 23, 2006. UT is undefeated (5-0-0) in five matches at home against the Jayhawks.
Ranked Opponent History
In facing No. 12 Missouri, UT will take on its third ranked opponent of the year. The Longhorns are 1-1 against teams rated in the top 25 in 2007. Texas defeated second-ranked UCLA, 2-1, on Sept. 2 in a neutral site match in Houston. The Longhorns fought to a 2-0 loss against Texas A&M in College Station on Oct. 12. In the last three years, Texas is 6-3 against ranked teams in 2005 and 2006.
Texas Tied For Third In League; Pfenninger Among GK Leaders
Texas is tied for third place in the Big 12 team standings through five matches with Oklahoma State. UT and Oklahoma State totaled 10 points (three wins at three points each and one tie for one point) behind conference-leader Texas A&M (15 points) and Missouri (12). The Longhorns have the second-highest overall winning percentage (.786) behind the Aggies (.821) and are tied with TAMU with the least number of losses of any team
(two) in the conference.
Freshman Niki Arlitt (Houston, Texas) is third in points-per-game (1.82), goals-per-game (0.73), and game-winning goals-per-game (0.27). Arlitt is fourth in points (20) and goals (8). Junior Courtney Gaines (Sugar Land,
Texas) is tied for fourth in assists with five, just two behind the league leader, Baylor's Megan Sherrell.
On the defensive side of the field, junior goalkeeper Dianna Pfenninger (Sugar Land, Texas) is one of the top net-minders in the conference. The 2006 Big 12 Soccer Tournament Defensive MVP boasts a league-leading 0.71 goals-against average (GAA) in overall games, which is .10 lower than second-place, Texas A&M's Kristin Arnold (.81).
In conference games, Pfenninger is sharper as she leads the Big 12 in GAA with 0.60 and is tied for first in shutouts (two) and shutouts-per-game (0.40). She is third in the conference with a .812 save percentage.
Senior Caitlin Kennedy (Euless, Texas), Gaines, and Moore are tied for fourth in league play as each has a game-winning goal in a Big 12 match.
Texas Soccer Ranked In Top 10
After a week at No. 1 in the Soccer America magazine national poll, UT fell to No. 10 after a split weekend with one win and one loss. UT moved from No. 3 to No. 7 in the SoccerTimes.com ratings, from No. 7 to No. 9 in SoccerBuzz and from No. 4 to No. 6 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas rankings.
Longhorns Have a Number of Choices for Game-Winners
Eight members of the 2007 roster have at least one game-winning goal (GWG) to their credit. Moore and Houston native Niki Arlitt have combined to score six of UT's 10 game-winning goals this season. Moore headed in game-winners in a 6-0 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, a 4-0 decision over Houston on Sept. 21 and a 1-0 decision on the road against Baylor on Oct. 14. Arlitt, a freshman forward, scored critical goals in the 1-0 win at Arizona State on Sept. 7, a 4-0 decision over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 23 and 2-1 contest over Wright State on Sept. 28.
NSCAA All-American senior forward Kelsey Carpenter (Allen, Texas), who has one game-winning goal this season, leads the way as the single season GWG record holder with eight in 2006. She is also one shy of the Longhorns' career record of 13 as she has 12 in her time on the Forty Acres.
Kennedy has four in her career with her most recent in a 1-0 decision over Texas Tech on Sept. 30.
Gaines became just the third newcomer this year, joining Arlitt and freshman Brooke Lee (Mesquite, Texas), to net a GWG.
Gaines Filling In Where Needed
Gaines, a transfer from the University of Houston, is fitting in as the Longhorns' utility person. She is first on the team with five assists and fourth on the team in scoring with 11 points (three goals, five assists). The Sugar Land, Texas native is one of a quartet of Longhorns that have reached double-digit point totals. Gaines has three goals this year. She had a multi-assist night in the 4-0 win over UTSA, helping three different UT players score goals.
Texas Records Watch
Pfenninger continues to rise in the school record books. She continues to add to her school-record 35 career wins. Additionally, the 2006 Big 12 Soccer Tournament Defensive MVP moved into third-place all-time in career minutes played, during the Texas Tech match (Sept. 30). She as she stands at 4,805 minutes on the career list, which is 396 shy of second-place, held by Cami Varnadore (5,201 minutes). Pfenninger is actively climbing the all-time saves list as she has 185 to her credit since her first start on Sept. 25, 2005.
Carpenter is one game-winning goal shy of tying the UT school record of 13, held by Kelly McDonald (2001-04) and Kelly Wilson (2001-04) ... Arlitt is more than halfway to breaking the freshman goal-scoring record of 13 set by Kelly Wilson in 2001. Arlitt leads the team in scoring with 20 points and goals scored with eight.
Texas Defense
The Longhorns' defense is stingy this year, giving up a modest 11 goals in 14 matches this year. The Texas defense has held 11 teams to one goal or less, and recorded six shutouts. UT carries a 0.79 goals-allowed average, which is slightly higher than the UT school record of 0.77 from 2006. The Horns have held their opponents to 98 overall shots, an average of seven per match.
Texas Offense
While the defense is keeping teams out of the UT nets, the offense is equally as aggressive getting past the opposing defense. The Longhorns have scored 29 goals in 1255 minutes this season. The offense is extremely aggressive in shots, taking 288 overall and putting 137 on frame. Nine Longhorns have at least one goal this year, 12 have been credited with an assist, and 13 have scored at least one point in 2007. Four Longhorns ­ Arlitt, Carpenter, Gaines and Moore -- are in double-digit point totals. Arlitt and Carpenter have two multi-goal matches each and Gaines has a multi-assist match.
All-Americans Boost Offense For Texas
All-Americans Carpenter and Moore have played major roles in the Longhorns offense. They have combined to score 12 of UT's 29 goals this year and are tied for second on the team with six goals in 14 games. Carpenter holds the slight advantage in points with 15 (six goals, three assists) against Moore's 13 (six goals and one assist).
Next Up: Oklahoma Weekend
The Longhorns head to Oklahoma for a 7 p.m. (CDT) match on Friday against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, followed by a 1 p.m. (CDT) tilt against Oklahoma on Sunday, Oct. 28 in Norman.
