Soccer Weekend Preview
10/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 1, 2003
Houston Looks to Snap Streak Against Cross-town Rival Rice
The Cougars look to return to their winning ways and snap their current five-game losing streak this Friday (Oct. 3) night against the Rice Owls at the Rice Track and Soccer Stadium in Houston, Texas . . . Houston is 2-0-0 lifetime against the Owls . . . This weekend marks the first time each have faced off on Rice's home turf since Sept. 4, 2001, when the Cougars held on for the 2-1 victory . . . In the two school's last meeting on Sept. 1, 2002, the Cougars defeated Rice by the same score . . . Rice is 2-6-1 so far this season, including 0-1-0 against Western Athletic Conference opponents, and enter this weekend's match looking to snap its two-game skid . . .The Owls have been shut out in each of their last two matches, 2-0 by Hawaii (Sept. 26) and 2-0 by No. 15-ranked Auburn (Sept. 28) . . . Like Houston, Rice has been shut out six times this season.
Against Conference USA
The Cougars posted an above-.500 record (4-3-3) against opponents in 2002 and so far in the 2003 season are 0-4-0 against the conference . . . Houston is 35-21-6 (.565) lifetime against league foes since joining C-USA in 1998 . . . This season's annual C-USA Tournament is slated for Nov. 5-8 in Charlotte, N.C., with the top eight finishers during the regular season earning a spot . . . The Cougars have participated in the annual tourney each of their five seasons.
Among the League Leaders
Through games of Sept. 29, junior Nikki Hawkins appears among C-USA leaders in points (9, T10th) and goals (4, T6th) in all games . . . Goalie Erin Ferguson is tied for eighth among fellow C-USA goalies with 31 saves, and fifth averaging 4.43 saves per game . . . As a team, Houston ranks firstwith a total of 57 saves in 11 games, an average of 5.18 per match.
Last Time Out: Houston Falls to East Carolina at Home
In yet another physical and defensive battle, Houston, despite notching two goals, fell in its fourth straight conference match to the visiting East Carolina Pirates, 3-2, on Sunday (Sept. 28) afternoon at Robertson Stadium . . . ECU's Sarah Stoltz netted the first score to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead at 6:14 . . . The Cougars evened the score 13 minutes later when sophomore Meghan Moreo sailed a pass from Nikki Hawkins over the head of ECU goalie Lindsi Troxler at 19:17, then took the 2-1 lead six minutes later when Hawkins netted the Cougars' second goal at 25:47 . . . The Pirates tied the score just before the half at 43:18 when Rachel Hills punched a pass from Anastasia Nikas past a diving Erin Ferguson, who notched five saves on the afternoon . . . Meghan McCallion put ECU ahead, 3-2, at 63:12, and the Pirates held off the Houston offense for the victory . . . Houston's defense once again played strong, and the offense out-shot the Pirates, 18-12. Hawkins, Moreo and senior defender Nicole Aubuchon each had three shots for the day, followed by Beth Outlaw and Nicole Butler with two a piece.
Hawkins Named Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Junior midfielder Nikki Hawkins was named Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the week of September 15, sharing the honor with Tulane's Lindsay Morris . . . Hawkins, who leads the Cougars with three goals and six points overall on the 2003 campaign, scored the Cougars' lone goal on a penalty kick in a 4-1 loss to SEC foe Georgia on Sept. 12 in the Women's College Cup Classic at Meyer Park in Houston . . . Then on Sept. 14 at Robertson Stadium, she registered Houston's lone goal in the 1-1 double-overtime tie with South Carolina . . . For the weekend, Hawkins tallied a total of nine shots, including four on-goal . . . The award is the first such honor for Hawkins, who was named to the Second Team All-Conference in 2002.
Streak Woes
The Cougars' current five-game losing streak matches the longest in program history, tying the 1998 inaugural squad which dropped its first five matches to open the campaign . . . The 2003 squad's last victory came on Sept. 10 when the Cougars' shut out the Texas State University Bobcats, 1-0, in double-overtime in San Marcos, Texas.
On Home Turf
The Cougars have posted a 9-6-3 run over their last 18 home games . . . They remain winless at home this season . . . The Cougars' 1-0 shutout loss to UAB on Oct. 11, 2002, at Robertson Stadium halted the Cougars' home win streak at eight games dating back to the 2001 season . . . That loss to UAB was Houston's first on home turf since a 1-0 defeat by UL Lafayette on Oct. 9, 2001 . . . Houston won its final four home contests of 2001, including victories over Memphis, Southwest Texas, Southern Miss and Tulane . . . The Cougars posted 11 straight home wins from 1998-99, beginning with the final six of 1998 and the first five of 1999 . . . The streak was halted by the Saint Louis Billikens on Oct. 29, 1999.S?hen they defeated Houston, 2-1, in double-overtime.
Struggling Cougar Offense
The Cougars have struggled on offensive early on, having been shut out six times this season . . In its first 11 games of 2003, Houston has been outscored 18-6, with both victories coming as shutouts against Eastern Washington, 1-0, (Aug. 31) and Texas State University, 1-0 (Sept. 10).
Hawkins Leads the Offense
This season junior midfielder Nikki Hawkins, who was named to the Second Team All-Conference USA last season and picked up C-USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors the week of Sept. 15, is Houston's leader on offense and currently leads the squad with 27 shots so far on the year, including 12 shots on goal . . . She also finds herself moving up Houston's all-time top ten in points (27, 4th), goals (13, T4th) and game-winning goals (5, T4th)... overall, she appears in the top 10 in all eight offensive categories for Houston . . . She recorded the Cougars' lone score on a penalty kick in their 1-0 shutout victory over Eastern Washington on Aug. 31 in the Baylor Classic and assisted in Houston's first goal and netted the second on Sept. 28 . . . She led the 2002 Cougar squad in total points (13) and goals (6) and tied with teammate Kelly Golden with two game-winning goals in all games, while in C-USA games alone she led the team with six points and three goals . . . Her 13 points on the 2002 campaign are the most by a Cougar player since the 2000 season.
2002 in Review: Soccer Makes Fifth Consecutive Trip to Annual C-USA Tournament
Even with the departure of 10 seniors, the 2002 team boasted one of the best recruiting classes since its inception -- ranked among the Top 50 in the nation by Soccer Buzz magazine -- that blended well with the remaining core of talented player and proved important in laying the foundation for the program's future . . . Led by upperclassmen Ashley Fortenberry, Allwardt and Aubuchon, the 2002 team wrapped up the season with an 8-8-3 record, including 4-3-3 in C-USA play, and earned its fifth-straight bid to the C-USA Tournament . . . Despite the youthfulness of the team, many players stood out for the Cougars in 2002 . . . Freshman forward Kelly Golden led the squad in total shots, while Hawkins led the team in goals scored, total points and emerged as the team leader . . . Meanwhile, freshman goalie Erin Ferguson emerged as one of the brightest and most talented goalies in C-USA . . . She stepped into the starting role and etched her name among Houston's all-timers in minutes played, saves, fewest goals against and shutouts . . . The Cougars had four players receive conference honors in 2002, including Hawkins, Alison Sinclair and Fortenberry all being named to the Second Team All-Conference and Golden earning All-Freshman accolades.
On the Airwaves
Local soccer fans can follow the Cougars and collegiate soccer every week . . . The Houston Chronicle's Glenn Davis hosts "Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis" every Sunday from 5-6pm on 90.1 FM (KPFT) radio in Houston, and his weekly soccer column appears in the "Sports 2" section of the Chronicle every Sunday.