Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: J.D. Swiger Junior forward Alyssa Mautz and the Aggies take on Baylor on Wednesday. A&M is looking for its fifth Big 12 Tournament championship and first since 2005. [Click to enlarge]

With a 6-2-2 record in Big 12 play, Texas A&M's soccer team heads to Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio as the second seed in the Big 12 Championship tournament. The Aggies will be facing the seventh seeded Baylor Bears in the first round Wednesday at 8 p.m. The Bears were 3-4-3 in Big 12 play and finished slowly at 1-2-1 after only scoring two goals in their final four Big 12 games.

"They're a team that wins challenges," junior defender Nicole Ketchum said. "They look to counter attack a lot. I just think the other teams in the Big 12 are good about keeping their defensive shape against them. They definitely have the ability [to score goals], but they have more of a defensive mentality"

Being the second seed isn't always a guaranteed win. In 2008, Texas A&M was shocked 4-2 by Kansas in San Antonio. An upset, however, is unlikely to happen again if the Aggie players and staff have their way.

"We are a better defensive team in 2009 than we were in 2008," Head Coach G Guerrieri said. "We're also more dangerous with our corps of forwards. But, you have to step out on the field and execute the game plan - we didn't do that in the loss to KU last year. We need to play well against Baylor if we're to win - they won't give us a win."

The forwards, headed by junior Whitney Hooper with seven goals, has made goalkeepers in the Big 12 work all season. A&M's 23.4 shots per game in Big 12 play is best in the conference by over two shots, and the two goals per game is good for third in the conference.

"Our attacking players are very talented, but very young," Guerrieri said. "So sometimes that lack of experience can break us down. But we've gotten better and more dangerous in attack each week, and I anticipate that trend to continue, even though this will be the second time to play teams [in the tourney]."

Continued...

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