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Defenders link A&M soccer roots to siblings
Edwards inspired to take up Elias hooked on Texas A&M after
soccer after watching older sister making visit to see Aggie sister
By Sara Duesing
The Battalion
or many children growing up,
trying to duplicate the success of
an older brother or sister is a
ommon goal. It was no different for
andy Edwards, a defender on the
exas A&M Soccer Team.
While her natural athletic talent
land relentless competitive nature mo
tivated her forward, it was Edwards’
older sister, Jennifer, who inspired her
to compete in soccer.
“I had to do everything she did,”
lEdwards said. “So I started to play
competitively in the sixth grade.”
Although she took up the sport
later than most players that the
sixth-ranked Aggies face in con
tention, Edwards makes up for her
lack of playing experience with talent
and dedication.
“Sandy’s work ethic is second to
none,” Head Coach G. Guerrieri
said. “Her main strength is her
willingness to give 100 percent
all of the time.”
Standing 5 feet, 3 inches
i tall, Edwards is known for her
[speed, aggressiveness and
persistence on the field.
A&M senior forward Kristen
Koop said Edwards’ res
oluteness is an inspiration
to the whole team.
Edwards’ biggest draw
back? There is only one of her.
“Sandy is definitely the
most hard-working player on
the field,” Koop said. “She is a
great encouragement and is
never down.”
In her second year as team
captain, Edwards said that she fo
cuses on being a strong leader —
I especially to the freshmen.
“With eight seniors on the team, it
is important to establish what we do
now so that they can follow later,”
Edwards said. “I talk to the girls a lot
and try to be a positive influence to
my teammates.”
When Edwards does find herself
getting frustrated or down on herself
— a characteristic she is trying to im
prove — there is one person she turns
to for consolation.
“My mom really inspires me,” Ed
wards said. “She knows just what to
say to keep me going.”
Edwards’ impact on the team goes
beyond the playing field and into
everyday situations. The two-time re
cipient of the GTE Academic Achieve
ment Award has been praised by
teammates for being caring, support
ive and for living up to her duties as
team captain.
“As captain, Sandy is a great
leader,” Koop said. “If anyone needs to
talk, she will always address the prob
lem. She is someone to depend on
both on and off the field.”
. Along with a few superstitions,
such as wearing the same socks and
the same ponytail holder for each
competition, Edwards does everything
she can to reach her personal goal for
the season.
“I want to make it to the (NCAA) Fi
nal Four, just like the rest of the team
does,” Edwards said. “We just have to
play the best we can and not give less
than what we have.”
Edwards displayed her best last week
end at the Big 12 Conference Champi
onships, where she was one of
five Aggies named to
the All-Tourna
ment team.
By Jamie Burch
The Battalion
L ike many Texas A&M students
on their first visit to Aggieland,
Emily Elias liked what she saw.
A sophomore defender on the A&M
Soccer Team, Elias said a single trip
to College Station to visit her sister
was all it took for her to fall in love
with the school.
When it was time to decide where to at
tend college, Elias said com
ing to A&M and
having the op
portunity
to play
‘ . ....
Photo Illustration by Stew Milne
“Sandy
has a great
ability to take
people on,” Guerrieri
said. “She is one of o
complete players.
“She doesn’t really
have any weakness
es, except that she is
a senior and this is
her last year to play
for us.”
Although the op
portunities for women
to compete in soccer
dwindle beyond the
collegiate level, Ed
wards said she could
never stop playing.
“I will always play
for fun [after college],”
Edwards said. “I could
never give it up.”
ur most
Sandy Edwards (left), a senior
industrial distribution major
from Plano, and Emily Elias, a
sophomore architecture major
also from Plano, anchor an
A&M defense that has recorded
a school-record 11 shutouts
this season. Both players earned
the GTE Academic Achievement
Award for 1995-96.
cer were a
perfect match.
“I came to visit my
sister and I just loved
it,” Elias said. “I
wanted to get into
architecture and I
found out they had a
really good architec
ture program here.
So when (Head
Coach) G. (Guerrieri)
started recruiting
me, it was perfect.”
Elias was recruited
for soccer by several
other schools, includ
ing top-ranked Uni
versity of Notre Dame
and the University of
Texas. But she said
her mind was made
up after her trip to A&M.
“I already knew I wanted to come
to A&M,” Elias said. “So I didn’t take
any other official visits. I visited A&M
and made up my mind before I looked
at any other schools.”
Elias exploded onto the scene last
season as a freshman, securing a
starting role at the sweeper position
when teammate Tina Robinson was
sidelined with an injury just five
matches into the season.
Starting 18 contests, Elias was
named A&M’s Most Improved Player
at the end of the year.
Guerrieri said he was not surprised
by Elias’ rapid improvement.
"We recruited her to come in and
be the leader of our defense as a
freshman,” Guerrieri said. “In the be
ginning stages of the season, she
was not quite ready.
“But when she stepped into the
sweeper role and Tina Robinson
came back from injury, that
was the difference in our suc
cess last year.”
Elias has anchored the de
fense of the sixth-ranked Ag
gies this season, starting all
22 games and recording
three assists. She has also
helped the Aggies to a
school-record 11 shutouts.
Guerrieri said Elias is
still improving.
“I have the utmost con
fidence in her,” Guerrieri
said. “She was the pre
miere defender coming out
of Texas last year. She
proved that in her freshman
year. I hope she’s in our line
up for the long term. I feel
that she has only scratched the
surface of her potential.”
Elias said it was difficult to
come in and be expected to play
as a freshman.
“It was nerve-racking,” Elias said.
“It was tough coming in, especially
with the caliber of athletes on the
team. It was hard to win a position,
but it was for the best. It has made me
a better player.”
Elias said the Aggies’ success this
season has made the sport even
more enjoyable.
“It’s been great,” Elias said. “It’s been
the best year since I’ve been on the
squad. I’m proud to play with this team.”
Elias’ positive, upbeat nature has
garnished her recognition from her
teammates. Senior defender Tina
Robinson said Elias supplies the team
with a positive outlook.
“Emily is one of those people who
never says a mean word,” Robinson
said. “She always has a smile on her face
and she is always happy and optimistic.
You can always look to her for a smile.”
Elias uses that same positive atti
tude to keep from burning out.
“It’s a game,” Elias said. “That’s the
one thing I always tell myself. I go out
there to have fun and to play with the
team. I simply love soccer.”
Page 7
Tuesday • November 12, 1996
Ags earn NCAA
home matches
By Nicki Smith
The Battalion
At approximately 5 p.m. Central Standard
Time Monday evening, collegiate women’s soc
cer teams across the country gathered around
television sets to learn their post-season fates
from the College Soccer Weekly 1996 Women’s
Selection Show.
Thirty-two teams were awarded bids to
the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer
Championship, with the seventh-ranked
Texas A&M Soccer Team being named a
first-round host team. The seventh-seeded
Aggies (20-3) will play host to unranked
University of San Diego Sunday at 1 p.m. at
the Aggie Soccer Complex.
Head Coach G. Guerrieri said regardless of
who the Aggies
played, he was
excited that the
team was nomi
nated to be in
the tournament.
“I was wor
ried that our
loss to Nebras
ka would take
away from our
seeding in this
tournament,”
Guerrieri said.
“Having the op
portunity to play for the national champi
onships was definitely what we hoped for.”
San Diego owns an overall record of 13-5-1,
including a victory over sixth-ranked Santa
Clara University during the regular season.
Guerrieri said the Aggies’ home-field advan
tage could play a deciding factor in their first-
round match.
“We wanted to earn a high seeding so that
our first-round game would be at home,”
Guerrieri said. “Playing at home with our fans
and a big crowd, we are more likely to have
our best performance, which will hopefully
put us in the top 16.”
A&M and San Diego were placed in the
fourth bracket, along with George Washington,
Northwestern, Indiana, No. 9 Maryland, No.
10 Wisconsin and top-seeded, defending na
tional champion Notre Dame.
Despite being grouped with Notre Dame,
Guerrieri said the Aggies are not concerned.
“Over the years, we have learned not to
expect a lot out of these things,” Guerrieri
said. “With being in the same bracket as
Notre Dame, we just have to look at it as a
challenge to look forward to. Somewhere
along the line, someone has to beat the for
mer national champions.”
Senior forward Kristen Koop said the Aggies
will take the tournament one game at a time.
“We were expected to be seeded in the
top eight, which is a good situation for us
to do well in,” Koop said. “Now we just
have to start over and go out and play our
hardest, because the rest of the season is
behind us.”
If the Aggies win their first-round game
against San Diego, they will play another home
game Nov. 22 against the winner of the George
Washington-Maryland match.
First- round play commences this week
end, with the second round slated for Nov.
22-24 and the quarterfinals scheduled for
Nov. 29-30. Semifinal action will take place in
Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, with the
final slated for Sunday, Dec. 8.
“Playing at home
with our fans and
a big crowd, we
are more likely
to have our best
performance.”
G. Guerrieri
Soccer Head Coach
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>] Progra
Study Abroad in mfexieo City
Summer
international Studies and Public
Relations
Informational meetings will be held:
Monday Nov. 11,3:00-3:30
Tuesday Nov. 12, 3:00-3:30
Wednesday Nov. 13, 10:00-10:30am
All meetings will be held in Bizzell West,
Room 358
For more information contact:
Study Abroad Programs
161 Bizzell Hall West
(409)845-0544
12th Man Student
Foundation Meeting
Weds. Nov. 13 in
Koldus 111 @ 5:45 p.m.
Speaker: Coach of the
Women’s Basketball Team
Candi Harvey
After the meeting, join the
12th Man at the
Men’s Basketball game:
Texas A&M
vs.
Townsville
@ 7:00 p.m.
SoME-'-ThiNqs Fishy
Saltwater Tank
- Special -
Complete 29 Gallon
Saltwater Aquarium Set Up.
Nothing else to buy!
Retail $ 179. 22
With this coupon s 119.^ Save ^O. 02
^ 1921 Texas Ave. 693-0697 J
Master Bootmaker
In Town Three Days Only
Order Your Aggie Senior Boots
November 17, 18, 19
In Lounge ‘A’ on the Quad
We will have samples to see and try on
Delivery in J an nary
$495 total
November 17, 10-8
November 18, 10-6
November 19, 8-4
For More Information call 268-6831
Tuesday Nite: Beat the Clock
Time You Call is the Price You Pay!
(from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.)
On a Large 2 Topping Pizza
Tips are appreciated
College Station Bryan
764-PAPA (7272) 268-PAPA (7272)
1100 Harvey Rd. 3414 East 29th St.