Houston Prepares to Open Season Against Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Houston Soccer program and first-year Head Coach Jaime Frias will officially kick off its 2022 season 7 p.m., Thursday with a match against Oklahoma at John Crain Field in Norman, Okla. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Chad McKee (play-by-play) and Jema Cota (analyst) calling the action. Live stats will be also available here.

FRIAS FILE
Frias comes to Houston from Virginia where he served as an assistant coach. During his time with the Cavaliers, Virginia won four ACC titles (2012, 2013, 2015, 2021) and three College Cups (2013, 2014, 2020).

Frias served as head coach at the University of Nevada during the 2008-09 season and served as head coach at Stephen F. Austin (2005-07) where he was named the 2005 Southland Conference Coach of the Year.

ABOUT THE COUGARS
The Cougars soared to new heights in 2021 with a 13-5-2 record, setting a program record for wins, besting the previous high of 12 in 2010. Houston's success during the 2021 season also included a 9-1-1 mark at home, and a No. 2 seed at The American Conference Tournament.

The Cougars return 23 student-athletes for the 2022 season with 19 Cougars seeing action at some point in 2021 and 13 different student-athletes notching at least one goal.

Houston returns two of its All-Conference selections from last season, including senior defender Emma Clarke, who was named to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, the league office announced Tuesday.

The Christchurch, New Zealand, native was recently named one of 35 defenders for the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch List following a successful 2021 campaign.

Clarke was a 2021 Second-Team All-Conference honoree, and a key component on the back line with 19 starts. In the 2021 American Athletic Conference Tournament, Clarke was the first Cougar in program history named to the All-Tournament Team.

Sophomore midfielder Samantha Wiehe was the second Cougar to pick up Conference Honors, being named to The American All-Rookie Team after proving herself with 13 appearances in the starting lineup.

SCOUTING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma is entering its third season under Head Coach Mark Carr. Last season, the Sooners posted an overall record of 8-11-1.

Oklahoma leads the series against Houston, 2-1. In last meeting, the Cougars defeated the Sooners, 3-1 on Aug. 19, 2021 at the Carl Lewis International Complex, with goals from Ava Alaniz, Adriana Hutson and Cordelia Cross.

UP NEXT
The Cougars return to the Lone Star State on Sunday to face Lamar at the LU Soccer Complex in Beaumont, Texas. The game will be streamed here, with live stats also available here.

SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.

JOIN the COUGAR RESERVES
Fans are invited to join the Cougar Reserves to support Houston Soccer. Cougar Reserves members provide financial support directly to Houston Soccer for needs beyond the program's operating budget. For more information about levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarSoccer on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarSoccer or on the team's Instagram page at @uhcougarsoccer.

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Ava Alaniz

Emma Clarke

Cordelia Cross

Adriana Hutson

Samantha Wiehe

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