The Texas A&M soccer team will play two conference foes at home over the weekend, hoping to start a winning streak again after their 2-1 loss at Nebraska Sunday.
"We just have to win every game," said junior goalkeeper Kristin Arnold. "We have to take it on our shoulders to win every game, and that's the way it's been all season."
Colorado comes to town on Friday, in a matchup that puts a powerful offense against a defense that is the best in the Big 12. In seven conference games, the Lady Buffaloes have only given up four goals, averaging out to 0.57 goals allowed per game. The Aggies offense hopes to keep up its conference average of two goals per game, good for second place in the Big 12.
"We know how good and athletic they are, which means we have to be that much more precise, quick and opportunistic around their goal," said Head Coach G Guerreri.
The Buffaloes lead scorer, senior forward Nikki Marshall, has seven goals on the season and 41 for her career. The two other multi-goal scorers for the team are sophomore midfielders Kelly Butler and Kassidy Fitzpatrick, who each have four goals in the 2009 campaign.
"Nikki Marshal is a special player with game changing pace and experience," Guerreri said. "She's always a handful for any team to control. But she's not alone on this talented CU roster. They are a team that plays well together in combinations all around the field."
On Sunday, the Aggies will host Texas Tech. The Red Raiders, who started Big 12 play with a record of 3-0-1, have stumbled as of late, dropping their last three by one goal each.
Tech's offensive firepower comes from their young, but explosive midfield. Dawn Ward, a redshirt freshman, leads the team with 12 goals on the season.
"Tech has a nice system for their players," Guerreri said, "It allows them to cover for each other defensively and for their creative players to move and find spaces to attack. Ward is a good, solid college player who has learned to utilize and take advantage of those spaces around goal."
The Aggies are more worried about playing their own game than highlighting any one player though.
"We need to take care of business," Arnold said. "If we win our individual positional battles, we'll be fine."
The next two games should be the biggest crowds that either team plays in front of all season. Texas A&M's soccer team averages around 3,000 fans per game, just under 2,000 more than the next best team in the conference.
"I think people come out to see a winner," Guerreri said. "And, whenever our great students come to an A&M soccer game as part of the Twelfth Man, their voice and spirit actually become part of the game and the excitement. When the Twelfth Man is here in numbers, you can bet that the adrenaline is pumping through our players veins, which makes us better and, I think, it helps to make the experience of the 12th Man that much better."
Texas A&M is 6-1-1 at home this season, and the crowd may be a factor for two teams used to playing in smaller crowds and venues.
"It's great to have the Twelfth Man out there," sophomore forward Katie Hamilton said. "They're a huge part of our success."
The Colorado matchup kicks off at 7 p.m., and the Texas Tech game will begin at 1:30 p.m.
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