The Cougars will continue their spring season with a match against the North Texas Mean Green at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Carl Lewis International Track and Field Complex.
Head coach Susan Bush said her strategy for this match has not changed since playing Baylor last month.
“Our focus is on getting a result, finding a rhythm of play, and scoring goals,” she said.
Because of injuries, the Cougars canceled their other match, slated for 4:30 p.m. the same day against Houston Baptist.
“We have just 11 players and that includes a senior who is helping us out in the spring,” Bush said. “We have not recovered any of the injuries through the spring.”
The spring scheduling is tight, and the team’s plan of cramming in games has not panned out. Bush and her squad remain unable to play more than one game a day.
She said her team had to cancel a game when they travelled to Austin last month against a Texas Tech team that was also facing injuries.
The spring season makes it difficult to travel, but in exchange it gives teams a chance to see how they stack up against nearby schools that are in different conferences.
So far, the Cougars have beaten Sam Houston State, Lamar and Texas-San Antonio.
Texas A&M, which UH will play after the upcoming game, beat North Texas 2-0 earlier this month. The Aggies are ranked 13th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after going into the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
A&M is undefeated in the spring season after winning its first four matches in the annual 7-on-7 tournament. UH was the only other team the Aggies did not compete against and the only other team to go undefeated in the tournament.
Coincidently, Texas A&M is set to play Baylor, which defeated UH, this weekend.
Bush recognizes the risk that accompanies the team’s tough schedule, but is persistent in concentrating on the game at hand and helping her team continue its positive spring season.
“Following this weekend, we will play Texas A&M and the University of Texas.” Bush said. “Both teams are very strong. We will continue to work on our rhythm of play and our offensive patterns through the remainder of the spring.”
