No. 13 Florida Soccer Plays Host to No. 5 Texas A&M for Saturday's Exhibition Match

8/25/07

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of Florida and Texas A&M, two women's soccer teams ranked among the nation's preseason top-15, meet Saturday evening for an exhibition match. Match time is set for 6 p.m. at the James G. Pressly Stadium. Admission is free and the Gator team will be available post-match to sign autographs.

Saturday's match will give the two programs a strong test in the only exhibition action on either team's schedule. Both teams are the defending champion in their conference, as Florida claimed its seventh Southeastern Conference title in 2006 with a 7-1-3 record, while Texas A&M took the Big 12 crown with its 9-1 record. Texas A&M (17-6-1 in 2006) fell to eventual NCAA champion North Carolina, 3-2, in 2006 NCAA Elite Eight action. Florida (14-6-5 in 2006) dropped a 3-2 decision at UCLA in the NCAA Round of 16.

Florida and Texas A&M have met four times in regular-season action and the Aggies lead the series 3-1. Florida has never defeated A&M at Pressly Stadium, dropping a 3-1 home decision in the last regular season meeting in 2000. The two teams did meet in 2007 spring action, posting a 2-2 tie in College Station, Texas, on March 31.

The Gators will be tested early this season. Including the exhibition match versus No. 5 Texas A&M, Florida meets half of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason top-six teams in the team's first five outings. Florida plays host to No. 2 Notre Dame Sept. 2 and No. 6 Florida State Sept. 9. Florida meets two other teams listed on the NSCAA preseason top 25 - at No. 20 Illinois (Sept. 14) and at No. 24 Tennessee (Sept. 30).

Florida and Texas A&M both were the preseason pick to win their respective conference titles. The Gators have won a league-high seven SEC titles in the program's 12-year history and the Aggies will be looking for their fourth consecutive Big 12 crown in 2007.

Florida returns 10 starters from 2006, not including senior All-American Melanie Booth. Booth sat out the 2006 season due to commitments with the Canadian National Team. She will miss at least the first three weeks of the 2007 season as she competes with Canada at the FIFA Women's World Cup in China. Two other All-Americans return for UF this season. Senior Stacy Bishop led the Gators with 12 goals, 6 assists and 30 points in 2006. She was followed closely by junior Ameera Abdullah with 11 goals and 24 points.

The Gators' season officially opens next weekend, when Florida plays host to Indiana on Friday, Aug. 31. Then 2006 NCAA runner-up Notre Dame makes its first visit to Pressly Stadium for a Sept. 2 match set for 1:30 p.m.