The Lady Longhorns‘ first home game of the season could be the best one all year. The Penn State Nittany Lions, fresh off a 3-1 pasting of No. 1 UCLA (see below), are probably the best team UT will face. As for the Horns, they opened with a 1-0 loss at Auburn (on an own goal, ouch!), despite outshooting the Tigers 15-6. Let’s hope that’s not the continuation of a trend. Over the past couple of years, the Horns have consistently outshot opponents but had trouble finishing. Penn State: Friday, Sept. 1, 7pm; Illinois: Sunday, Sept. 3, 1pm; Myers Stadium. $7 ($4 students, or download a coupon for $1 tickets here).
Horns’ captain Stephanie Logterman will miss those games – gladly. She’s still with the U.S. national team at the Under-20 World Championships, where the U.S. advanced to a Thursday semifinal against China by thumping defending champion Germany, 4-1, avenging a 2004 loss in the semifinals.
In a busy opening weekend in NCAA women’s soccer, the top three preseason picks all lost on the road: Penn State knocked off UCLA, defending champ Portland lost to Florida State, and Texas A&M beat North Carolina, 1-0, before an NCAA record crowd of 8,204 in College Station. But I’ve still got the Bruins at No. 1; they’ll soon get back five starters who are now in Russia with the national team.
1) UCLA (1-1-0)
2) Santa Clara (2-0-0)
3) Penn State (1-0-1)
4) Florida State (1-0-0)
5) Notre Dame (2-0-0)
6) Texas A&M (2-0-0)
7) North Carolina (1-1-0)
8) Virginia (2-0-0)
9) Portland (0-1-1)
10) California (2-0-0)
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UT Home Schedule
Friday, Sept. 1, 7pm: Penn State
Sunday, Sept. 3, 1pm: Illinois
Friday, Sept. 15, 7pm: Nicholls State
Sunday, Sept. 17, 1pm: Cal State Fullerton
Friday, Sept. 29, 7pm: Oklahoma St.
Sunday, Oct. 1, 1pm: Oklahoma
Friday, Oct. 13, 7pm: Sam Houston St.
Friday, Oct. 20, 7pm: Missouri
Sunday, Oct. 22, noon: Iowa State
Friday, Oct. 27, 7pm: Texas A&M
This article appears in September 1 • 2006.