COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies were selected No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Preseason Ranking, the organization announced Tuesday.
Texas A&M polled third among SEC schools, one of four league teams in the preseason Top 25. The Aggies were joined by South Carolina (No. 5), Florida (No. 7) and Tennessee (No. 25). The Aggies are the top-ranked team from the Lone Star State, placing ahead of No. 15 Baylor and No. 17 Texas.
Stanford garnered the top spot, followed by UCLA, Duke, Penn State and South Carolina. The rest of the Top 10 included North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Florida State.
The Aggies face three of the teams featured in the preseason poll. The Maroon & White host No. 19 Santa Clara on September 2 and No. 25 Tennessee on October 21. Texas A&M wraps up the regular-season against No. 5 South Carolina on October 25. Three other regular-season opponents start the season in striking distance of the Top 25. Auburn garnered the 31st most points with Ole Miss finishing 33rd and LSU 38th.
Texas A&M returns 16 letterwinners from the 2017 campaign, including nine players who started at least 50 percent of last season’s 22 matches. The returnees account for 34 of the Aggies’ 46 goals from last season. The Aggies welcome back All-SEC performers Ally Watt and Kendall Ritchie. Other key returnees include SEC All-Freshman Addie McCain, Texas A&M Defensive MVP Briana Alston and starting goalkeeper Cosette Morché. Two other former SEC All-Freshman return with Emily Bates and Grace Piper playing their senior and junior seasons, respectively.
Watt was the Aggies’ leading scorer last season, logging 24 points on 11 goals and two assists. Bates chipped in with 14 points on four goals and six assists. Morché played every minute in goal for the Aggies, posting a 0.75 goals-against average and eight shutouts.
Texas A&M wrapped up the 2017 season with a program best winning percentage (.864) on 18-2-2 mark. The Aggies earned a bid to their 23rd consecutive NCAA Championship and advanced to the second round of the tournament for the 19th straight season.
The Maroon & White open the 2018 campaign on August 17 as they travel to Honolulu for a match against the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine. Texas A&M has an exhibition match scheduled at Ellis Field for Saturday, August 11 vs. TCU.