TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona women's soccer team will host Texas Tech this weekend in the Wildcat Classic on Sunday, Sep. 10 at 6 p.m. MST respectively. Arizona's last match against FGCU was on Aug. 24, 2014 as the Wildcats fell 2-1 versus the Eagles. Versus Texas Tech, Arizona tied the Raiders 2-2 on Aug. 26, 2016 in a trying away match.
FGCU enters the weekend with a 5-1 record, their only loss coming against a former No. 4 South Carolina by a score of 2-1. Texas Tech enters the tournament at 4-1, their only loss coming against Pepperdine by a score of 3-0.
Close but No Cigar
Last week's matches in Tempe, Ariz. were a series of narrow misses for Arizona Soccer. On Friday, Gabi Stoian put the team up by one over a former No. 24 UCF squad (now No. 20) in the 66th minute, but the victory wouldn't hold as UCF rallied with goals in the 78th and 85th minute to claim the win. Sunday's match was equally as tough for the team as they took 20 shots but couldn't find the back of the net until the 77th minute as Stoian again managed to score for the team. Despite the goal, the Wildcats couldn't find a victory after a double-overtime and ended a match that should have been a win as only a draw. This was partly akin to the two instances when shots from the team found the crossbar despite beating the keeper.
Stalling Offensive Engine
In last weekend's Sun Devil Desert Classic, the Wildcats put on 29 shots but only walked away with two goals. This has been a tale of the tape this season, as the squad has been able to run up 57 shots and 20 corner kicks through the two matches in the season, but have only tallied four goals. However, Gabi Stoian managed to break her scoring drought over the weekend as she scored two off passes from Cali Crisler.
New Line of Defense
Arizona's back line for the last four matches has been Samantha Falasco, Brandi Park, Sabrina Enciso, and Morgan McGarry. Falasco and Park saw over 2,500 combined minutes on defense last season, while McGarry and Enciso are new to the starting lineup. Together, the four defenders have been a major part in Arizona's two shutout matches this season, limiting their opponents to only fourteen shots-on-frame. Those metrics come against formerly-ranked No.16 Oklahoma and currently-ranked No. 20 UCF.
Strong Start
Arizona opened their 2017 campaign with a rousing victory against the 16th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Friday, Aug. 18 by a score of 2-0. Redshirt freshman Jill Aguilera opened the scoring after a breakaway chance with two minutes left in the first half. She was followed by Hailey Mazzola, who knocked in a centered ball midway through the second period to give the Wildcats a comfortable cushion to complete the victory. True freshman Amanda Porter earned both assists with some intelligent playmaking. On defense, the Wildcats allowed only one shot-on-goal. Goalkeeper Lainey Burdett earned the 11th shutout of her career (now has 12).
One More Go Around for Gabi
Senior Gabi Stoian is poised to finish her career as the most decorated player in Arizona history. The Scottsdale native started every game last season and earned 1,503 minutes of time over the course of the season. She scored six goals and tallied five assists for a total of 17 points. These stats pushed her career numbers to 25 goals, 20 assists and 70 points. Stoian is second all-time in each of those categories and is in striking distance of breaking all three of those records in 2017. Last weekend's two goals at the Sun Devil Desert Classic have moved her one step closer to building that legacy.
Between the Posts
Lainey Burdett got the nod in 16 of Arizona's 19 matches last season after being sidelined the first three games due to an illness. Burdett maintained a goals-against average of 1.16, the fifth-lowest mark by an Arizona goalkeeper. She also earned seven shutouts, a feat that placed her in a tie for third in season shutouts and propelled her to fourth all-time for career shutouts at 10. She added to her total with shutouts at Oklahoma & UC Irvine and now has 12 for her career. The junior is currently ninth all-time in Arizona history with 122 career saves.
The Fab Five
The Wildcats roster features five seniors this season (Gabi Stoian, Charlotte Brascia, Cali Crisler, Brandi Park and Jackie Bollinger). Stoian, Brascia, Crisler and Bollinger are looking to be the first class in Arizona history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the third time (Park transferred from Pima Community College in 2016). From 2014-16, the team posted a record of 34-22-5 (tied for the most wins in a three-year period in Arizona history).
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