Nov. 8, 2006

ABILENE, Texas - Setting The Scene Hardin-Simmons will hit the road to the Pacific Northwest for the first and second round of the NCAA Championships at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. The four team sectional will feature four ranked teams and includes No. 1 Trinity, No. 7 Hardin-Simmons, No. 11 Puget Sound and No. 17 Willamette. HSU has had bittersweet success in Tacoma. The Cowgirl soccer team lost to UPS 2-0 in 2004 as the Loggers went on to an NCAA runner-up finish. Last year the Cowgirl basketball team advanced to the Final Four through Pacific Lutheran.

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Back Out West The Cowgirls will make the trip to Tacoma for the second time in three years. The Cowgirls lost to Puget Sound 2-0 in the Loggers national runner-up season. HSU has seven healthy (nine total) players that played in that game that will play Saturday. Puget Sound will return six players that played in the game.

Gooooooooooaaaaaallllllll Hardin-Simmos leads the nation in scoring on the year with 131 goals, but maybe just as impressive is the fact they have allowed only 11 goals. The Cowgirls have four 40-point scorers on their team this year. Every field player on the team has scored at least one goal. Senior Whitney Piendak has set the American Southwest Conference and school record with 29 goals. Freshman Amy Kuykendall has 26 goals and 20 assists. The 20 assists are a school and conference record.

Showstopper Amy Kuykendall was instrumental in both goals in the Cowgirls' dramatic rally against UT-Dallas in the ASC Final. Kuykendall centered a perfect pass to Kelsey Jensen on the game tying goal in the 88th minute and then the freshman sensation hit the game winner after a great pass from Mindi Zamora past a diving Cat Fox.

Senior Class The Cowgirls have five seniors on the team and four - Mindi Zamora, Whitney Piendak, Stefanie Patterson and Becca Neal have player for all four years at HSU. Marissa Wichkoski transferred in prior to their sophomore year. The Cowgirls are a combined 72-8-4 in their careers and have won four American Southwest Conference titles and have won three NCAA Tournament games.

ASC Honors Whitney Piendak was named the co-ASC player of the year and Amy Kuykendall won ASC offensive freshman of the year to highlight the Cowgirls' honorees by the ASC. Mindi Zamora and Christi Carr joined Piendak and Kuykendall on the first team. Laura Newbrough earned second team honors, Kelly Watson was named third team and Morgan Loyd was honorable mention.

Record Breakers The Cowgirls have broken several school records this season. The 131 goals is a record, Whitney Piendak has set the single-season record for goals with 29 and Amy Kuykendall has the single-season record for assists with 20 and points with 72. Piendak is within 11 points of the all-time HSU scoring record. She needs five goals to become the all-time leading goal scorer and Mindi Zamora needs two assists to become only the 12th 50-50 player in Division III history. She has 52 goals and 48 assists in her career.

School Success Hardin-Simmons is one of only six teams across the country to have its men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball teams make the NCAA Tournament. It is the first ever appearance for the Cowgirl volleyball team, the sixth trip for the women's soccer team and the fourth time for the men's soccer team. Coincidentally, all three are in the same regional grouping as one of the other teams to have all three teams make the field - archrival Trinity.

Head Coach Marcus Wood In his seventh season as the Cowgirls head coach, Marcus Wood has posted a career mark of 119-16-11, led the Cowgirls to all seven conference tournaments and won five ASC titles. His teams have been among the best defensive and offensive teams in the nation.