Cougar Soccer Weekend Preview
10/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 13, 2004
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> Houston Looks to Turn the Tide at DePaul, Marquette
The Cougars look to get back on track and bring a halt to their current four-game losing streak Friday afternoon at DePaul and again at Marquette on Sunday afternoon. Houston carries a 4-1 lifetime advantage over the Blue Demons, while trails 6-1 to the Golden Eagles.>br> Houston has won four of five lifetime meetings aginst DePaul, with the Blue Demons taking their sole victory last season on their home field. Two of the Cougars' four victories have been 1-0, and they have out-scored the Blue Demons, 7-3.
DePaul enters this weekend with a 6-7-1 overall record, including a 2-4-1 mark in C-USA. The Blue Demons are lead by Julianne Sitch, the team's leading scorer. They are is currently in eighth place in C-USA. They were shutout, 1-0, by Cincinnati last Sunday.
The Golden Eagles are currently on spot above the Blue Demons in the league standings in seventh, and carry a 6-6-1 overall record and 2-2-1 league record. In Marquette's last match last Sunday against Louisville, the Cardinals won, 1-0.
> Against Conference USA
The Cougars are currently 1-4-0 against league opponents this season and are 34-25-7 lifetime against league foes since joining C-USA in 1998. This season's annual C-USA Tournament is slated for Nov. 34-6 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.
> Last Time Out: Houston Falls to No. 21 SMU
The No. 21st-ranked SMU women's soccer team dominated Houston with five goals in the first half and one in the second and cruised to 6-1 win over the Cougars on Sunday (Oct. 10) afternoon in a non-conference tilt under wet weather conditions at Westcott Field in Dallas, Texas.
SMU's Adria Campbell recorded her first collegiate hat trick with three of the Mustangs' six scores on the day. Campbell's first goal came at the 2:18 mark with a shot off Cougar goalkeeper Nicole Oliver's hands at the top of the 18-yard box. She struck again at the 26:39 mark with a strong header off a corner kick by Allison Brill.
Campbell then gave SMU a 3-0 cushion when the Cougars posted on their own goal at the 31:05 mark. Sophomore Olivia O'Rear scored two goals as well (31:05 and 34:54) to give SMU a 5-0 lead going into halftime. Houston notched its goal at the 89:21 mark with a tap in by sophomore Kelly McCartney off a corner kick by Sarah Fisher that went past SMU goalkeeper Ariel House.
Campbell collected her third goal on a successful penalty kick at the 89:48 after teammate Kimber Bailey was taken down in the box. Senior midfielder Nikki Hawkins, Houston's leading scorer this season, and freshman Whitney Lonsford both led the Cougars with two shots on the day.
> The Offense Goes Crazy
In Houston's consecutive wins over Texas Southern on Sept. 17 and Prairie View A&M on Sept. 19, many school records were either broken or tied. First, senior Nikki Hawkins and freshman Chelsea Davis each posted hat tricks in the victory Sept. 17, combining for six of the Cougars' 14 goals. In the two weekend wins, the Cougars combined to out-score their opponents, 21-1, and during their three-game win streak, out-scored the opposition 24-3.
> There to Lend a Hand
Sophomore defender Sarah Fisher continues to contribute to the offense despite being the team's leader on defense this season. Fisher has started all 14 matches for the Cougars this year and leads the team with six assists, which is one shy of tying Kara Bullinger and Becca Smith for the most in a single season in school history. She set a school mark on Sept. 17 as she led the Cougar brigade with four assists.
> Among the League Leaders
Through games of Oct. 10, senior Nikki Hawkins appears among C-USA leaders in virtually every offensive category, including shots (T5th-41), points (T1st-24), goals (T2nd-10), shots per game (7th-2.93),points per game (2nd-1.71), goals per game (4th-0.71) and assists per game (10th-0.29). Sophomore Sarah Fisher is currently second in C-USA with six assists on the season. With 28 goals scored this season, the Cougars are in second among league leaders.
> Hawkins Named Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Following her first career "hat trick" with all three goals in the Cougars' 3-2 win at Sam Houston State on Sunday, Sept. 12, senior midfielder Nikki Hawkins was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 13, as selected by the C-USA head coaches.
Hawkins has scored all five goals for Houston during this season and has moved into first place in school history with 21 career goals. In addition, with 44 career points - seven on this season - she currently rests in second place on the all-time scoring chart.
For the weekend, Hawkins tallied a total of 11 shots, including a career-high eight against the Bearkats.
The award is the second such honor for Hawkins, who was named C-USA's Co-Offensive Player of the Year Sept., 15, 2003. She also has claimed First Team All-C-USA honors each of the last two seasons.
> Struggling Cougar Offense
While the defense has been solid, the Cougars have struggled on offensive this season and have been shut out six times this season, including three matches 1-0.
> Hawkins Leads the Offense
This season senior midfielder Nikki Hawkins, who was named to the First Team All-Conference USA last season and picked up C-USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors the week of Sept. 13, is Houston's leader on offense and currently leads the squad with 41 total shots so far on the year, including 14 shots on goal. She has started every game of her collegiate career, and currently ranks among C-USA's all-time Top 25 in goals, shots and points, and will continue to move up the ranks this season. In addition, she continues to climb as Houston's all-time career leader in points, goals, matches and shots, and ranks among Houston's all-time top ten in every other offensive category.
Hawkins set a school record with back-to-back hat tricks earlier this season, with three goals against Sam Houston State on Sept. 12 and in Houston's 14-1 win over Texas Southern on Sept. 17.
She led the 2003 Cougar squad in total points (17), goals (7), game-winning goals (2), assists (3), shots (44).
> Houston Boasts Top 30 Recruiting Class
Houston women's soccer team entered the 2004 season boasting the 22nd-best recruiting class in the nation's Central Region, according to Soccer Buzz Magazine.
Houston tops the list of four Conference USA schools listed in the Top 30 and leads the pack of Memphis (No. 23), Tulane (No. 25) and Saint Louis (No. 29).
The 2004 recruiting class for the Cougars features eight newcomers, comprised of four signees, two transfers and two walk-ons, including five freshman and two sophomores. Three of this year's newcomers - Ashleigh Williams (Houston, Texas), Rachel Trent (Carmel, Ind.) and Brooke Simon (Mundelein, Ill.) - each played on club teams ranked No. 12 and No. 8, respectively, last year.
This marks the second time in the last three years that a Cougar recruiting class has been ranked among the Top 50 programs in the nation. The Cougars' 2002 recruiting class was ranked No. 7 out of 65 teams in the Central Region and No. 42 overall in the nation.
