Coming off another pair of conference wins, the Texas A&M soccer team (10-3-1, 5-1-0 SEC) hits the road for two conference games this weekend.
The Aggies will travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday to face the Alabama Crimson Tide for the fifth time in program history. A&M currently leads the series 3-1, with a 5-0 rout of the Tide last year at Ellis Field.
Despite last year’s lopsided victory, Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri doesn’t expect the Tide to roll
over Friday.
“I think it will be a really difficult game for us, having to go there where they have been really good this season,” Guerrieri said. “They’re a team that’s very organized and have gotten better as the season has gone on and they’ve pulled off some really good wins. So I think it will be a really difficult assignment for us.”
Alabama is sporting a 5-8-0 record, including an even 3-3-0 in SEC play. Though struggling on the road, the Tide has only dropped two of its six home games this season.
Aggie freshman Liz Keester nabbed her first SEC Freshman of the Week award following a two-goal performance in the Aggies 4-3 overtime victory against Arkansas Oct. 11. Her Arkansas performance brought her total to six on the season, tying her for second on the team.
“I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable,” Keester said. “It’s so much faster in college and such a different level that I think it’s taken me a little while to really adjust to the speed and everything of it. I’ve finally gotten more comfortable with it.”
The Aggies stole an early goal from the Razorbacks in the third minute of the game when Keester tucked a shot in the left side netting from just outside the six-yard box. The early goal proved to be one of the few bright spots for the Aggies in the first half as they surrendered the next three goals before netting their second, leaving the team trailing 2-3 at the intermission.
A&M came out in the second half and showed why they are the SEC West favorites. The team rallied to outshoot the Razorbacks 15-8 in the second half and overtime on their way to two goals – including one in overtime – to secure the victory. The overtime win over Arkansas extended A&M’s win streak to
five games.
Overcoming an early two-goal deficit and securing a victory in overtime can be attributed to the team’s resiliency, heart and trust in each other, sophomore Janae Cousineau said. Battling through adversity together only strengthened the already unmatched team chemistry in the locker room, Cousineau said.
“I definitely think it bonded us,” she said. “We’ll always remember going down 3-1 in the beginning of the game. Being down in the first half and coming back just really bonded us.”
The Aggies will kickoff against the Crimson Tide at 7 p.m. Friday. Following the Aggies Friday matchup in Tuscaloosa, the team will make the trip to Athens, Ga., Sunday where they will take on the 9-4-1
Georgia Bulldogs.
Sunday’s match will begin at 2 p.m. with ESPNU carrying the broadcast.