Aug. 20, 2004

Waco, Texas -- The Baylor soccer team will conclude the exhibition season on Saturday, August 21, when the Bears face Houston at 2:30 p.m. on the Cougars practice field. The contest, originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m., was moved because the resurfacing of the Cougars new field has yet to be completed.

"The final exhibition will give us one more opportunity to prepare for the challenging season ahead," head coach George Van Linder said. "We played well in our first match of the season; and, hopefully, we will be able to continue our strong play against a good Houston team."

Baylor enters the contest against the Cougars after defeating Arkansas 3-0 in an exhibition match at Betty Lou Mays Field.

Baylor's 13 newcomers played a key role in the victory over the Lady Razorbacks, as Margaret Kaderli and Jessica Hutton recorded points in the win. In addition, junior transfer Kristin Weegar and freshman Ashley Holder combined to record the shutout.

The contest against the Bears is the first for the Cougarsthis season. Last year, Houston posted a 3-13-2 overall record, including 1-8-1 in C-USA play. Junior Nikki Hawkins was named to the First Team All-Conference USA squad, while freshman defender Nicole Zygmontowicz was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.

The match is the final tune-up for the Bears before traveling to South Bend, Ind., to face pre-season No. 2 Notre Dame. Baylor and the Fighting Irish will open the 2004 season at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 27.