Texas A&M soccer’s defense shone in what was a scrappy and possession-heavy game against the Crimson Tide Friday night.
The maroon and white wasted no time getting on the scoresheet as freshman Taylor Pounds opened her collegiate account in the first minute of play. The Alabama goalkeeper failed to hold on to a vicious inswinging corner by A&M defender Jimena Lopez and the ball fell to Pounds, who only had to tap in from close range.
Despite going down early, the Crimson Tide came close to equalizing on a couple of occasions and earned three corner kicks before the end of the first half. A&M’s defense was up to the challenge, however, and limited Alabama to shots from range.
A&M’s defense remained compact in the second half of play, and the Aggies were able to build attacks off of their defensive solidity. Freshman attacker Laney Carroll marked her return from injury by scoring in the 68th minute after being put through by a brilliant measured pass from freshman Barbara Olivieri. The goal was Carroll’s second of the season.
The Aggies were able to see out the rest of a scrappy second half which saw both teams commit five fouls. Friday’s clean sheet is the third for the Aggie defense and the first for sophomore goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell who made her first collegiate start against Alabama.
A&M coach G Guerrieri said his team performed well against a tough opponent in Alabama.
“I’m pleased with the way we defended,” he said, “and that we didn’t give up anything silly in the back. There are other things we can look to improve upon, though.”
A&M will return to action on Friday, Nov. 6, against the LSU Tigers at Ellis Field. The game will also be Senior Night for the Aggies and kick-off is set for 7 p.m.