Following the release of the 2023 fall schedule for the Texas A&M soccer team, the maroon and white wrapped up their spring exhibition games on Saturday, April 15, at Ellis Field. Facing off against in-state teams in Texas State and UTSA, the Aggies defended their home turf with a draw against the Bobcats and a win against the Roadrunners.
In A&M’s first game against Texas State, the Bobcats pounced first to take a 1-0 lead before the Aggies struck back with a goal by junior forward Maile Hayes, who was set up by junior defender Mia Pante. This would be the last goal of the match as the Aggies ended up tying with the Bobcats 1-1.
Next, the maroon and white made quick work of UTSA by running over the Roadrunners 4-0. Pante put on a corner kicking masterclass, assisting on A&M’s first two goals with junior forward Jazmine Wilkinson and junior midfielder Quinn Cornog on the receiving end.
Graduate goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell played a huge role on both sides of the ball. She played a key role in shutting out the Roadrunners and scored a free kick to bring the score to 3-0.
Freshman midfielder Georgia Leb, who won A&M soccer’s Most Improved Player Award weeks earlier, added onto an impressive outing by the Aggies. Adding onto the trend of corner kick assists, she set up freshman forward Taylor Jernigan to extend the lead to 4-0.
The maroon and white finished their spring exhibition games with an overall record of 4-1-1 and gave up only three goals in the span. The team will look ahead to opening up the season with exhibition matches featuring SMU on Aug. 6 and Texas State on Aug. 11. The Aggies will have a tough test ahead of them, facing off against 18 opponents, with nine of them appearing in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.