HOUSTON COUGARS vs RICE OWLS - KOKOY'S MATCH OF THE WEEK PREVIEW (Blog date August 14, 2013)

Friday Aug 16 University of Houston (#126) @ Rice University (#82) 7:00 pm

The 2013 Kokoy's Women's College Soccer Blog season is about to open with a bang, a local derby no less between the two flagship universities of the fourth largest city in the United States - the Houston Cougars versus the Rice Owls, a rivalry the magnitude of Ateneo-La Salle or Letran-San Beda (without any of the notorious interscholastic rumbles). Located just five miles from each other, both institutions have been members of the same various conferences off and on over the past half-century or so. The 2013 season sees them going separate ways again, with Rice staying in Conference USA, where they finished as regular-season runners-up last year, and U of H debuting the new American Athletic Conference. Both of their respective schedules list this as an exhibition game, but we know much is at stake when these two teams hit the pitch. Rice has had the edge in this series since the 2001 season, posting six wins, three draws and three losses in the 21st century, but every match has been tightly contested with only one decided by more than a single goal. It will be the last chance for this generation of U of H seniors to taste victory over the Owls, as they were still in high school the last time the Coogs won.

This match features the return of two stellar workhorses fighting for control in center-midfield - Quinny Truong of Rice and Houston's Kylie Cook. I expect Kylie to play her most inspired ball to lead her graduating classmates in a campaign to deny their bottom-of-the-table ranking in the newly formed AAC. This opening exhibition match will also test a rebuilt Cougar defensive line which has just one returning starter in senior Danielle Muñoz, the only upperclasswoman in the back. If Kylie relinquishes control of that center to Quinny, Danielle and goalkeeper Cami Koski will have their work cut out for them in rallying a young fresh backline against a surging Rice offense fronted by one of the most prolific striking duos in school history - sophomores Lauren Hughes and Holly Hargreaves, who combined for 19 of the Owls' 25 goals in their freshman year. On the other end, the Cougar forward rotation led by seniors Sami Sackos and Kayla Walker, along with juniors Alexis Weaver, Jasmine Martinez, who posted the team's highest goal tally last year, and Kelsey Zamora, winner of Kokoy's 12th Woman of the Year award (see my blog date Nov 27, 2012), face a tough Rice backfield anchored by six-foot team captain Hayley Williams and her fellow senior Alexandra Trenary. Including sophomore Jasmine Isokpunwu, three returning starters feature in the Owls defensive line. 

Houston's Fabiola Cirino (17) and Rice's Danielle Spriggs (19) fight for the ball at midfield in their final confrontation in Robertson Stadium last October. The Cougars and Owls collide again this Friday August 16 at Rice for another physical matchup. (Photo by Kokoy Severino)

This is guaranteed to be much more than just an "exhibition." This is a battle for bragging rights to be decided by key matchups, a perfect way to open the 2013 KWCSB season. 

http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/w-soccer/hou-w-soccer-body.html
http://www.riceowls.com/sports/w-soccer/ 

(Most current national rank in parentheses, by the National Collegiate Athletic Association http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-women/d1/ncaa_womens_soccer_rpi)  

UPCOMING MATCHES OF THE WEEK:

Friday Aug 23 University of North Texas (#55) @ Texas Southern University (#312) 7:00 pm

Sunday Aug 25 University of Georgia (#94) @ U of H 1:00 pm

Friday Aug 30 Stephen F. Austin University (#31) @ U of H 7:00 pm

Sunday Sep 1 Texas Christian University (#72) @ Houston Baptist University (#205) 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 6 Southern University (#323) @ Lamar University (#161) 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 13 University of Texas at El Paso (#185) @ HBU 7:00 pm

Sunday Sep 15 Louisiana State University (#66) @ Rice 1:00 pm

Sunday Sep 15 University of Houston @ HBU 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 20 University of Louisiana at Lafayette (#238) @ U of H 5:00 pm

Friday Sep 20 Oklahoma State University (#76) @ Rice OR
                       Howard University (#310) @ TSU 7:00 pm
                       (depending on time constraints)

Sunday Sep 22 South Carolina State University (#292) @ TSU 7:00 pm

Friday Sep 27 Northwestern State University (#260) @ HBU* 7:00 pm

Sunday Sep 29 Vanderbilt University (#114) @ Texas A&M University (#15)* 1:00 pm at College Station

Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#227) @ U of H* 7:00 pm

Friday Oct 11 TSU @ Prairie View A&M University (#303)* 7:00 pm

Sunday Oct 13 Texas Tech University (#21) @ Baylor University (#10)* 1:00 pm

Friday Oct 18 Oral Roberts University (#124) @ HBU* 5:00 pm

Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#50) @ Rice* OR
                      Alcorn State University (#321) @ TSU* 7:00 pm
                      (depending on time constraints)

Sunday Oct 20 Mississippi Valley State University (#275) @ TSU* 1:00 pm

Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#20) @ U of H* 7:00 pm

Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#322) @ TSU* 7:00 pm

Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#97) @ Rice* 1:00 pm

Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#233) @ HBU* 5:00 pm

Wednesday Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals @ Rice*

Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals @ Rice*

Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final @ Rice*

(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend.) 

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)