The Texas A&M soccer team are back in the SEC Tournament final for the third straight season in a row.
The Aggies (2-0) defeated LSU 1-0 in the semifinal with the help of a late goal from Emily Bates to seal the deal for the Aggies in a match where A&M outshot LSU 23-9.
A&M has not allowed a goal in this season’s nor last year’s SEC Tournament which extends its streak without allowing a goal to 492 minutes.
The Tigers (1-1) had their opportunities in the first half but couldn’t do much offensively in the second after A&M dominated possession and fixed its defensive problems.
Despite the amount of shots the Aggies had, LSU had two crucial opportunities in the first half where it could have scored.
The first of LSU’s two big chances occurred in the 10th minute. Natalia Gomez-Junco fired a free kick from 30 yards that bounced off the woodwork. In the 37th minute, the second chance arrived. LSU forward Alex Thomas made a run deep in the A&M box and sent a pass across the face of the goal. Jorian Baucom connected but blasted her shot over the post from point blank range.
A&M’s goal occurred when Bates made a darting run into the box. Sophomore midfielder Mikaela Harvey provided a perfectly weighted through ball to the freshman. Bates then smashed it past the LSU keeper to give the Aggies the 1-0 lead with 16 minutes remaining. The goal was Bates’ seventh of the season.
A&M will now take on the regular season SEC winners Florida in the championship game. The two teams met last in Gainesville on Sept. 10 with the Aggies coming out on top 2-1, which helped A&M head coach G Guerrieri attain his 400th win at the program.
The SEC Tournament final will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. central time. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
