Texas A&M’s soccer team faced its third consecutive loss after being shut out by SEC powerhouse Alabama on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Less than two weeks ago, the Aggies were preparing to enter conference play, understanding the aggression and offensive challenges waiting to greet them. After losing its first two matches against SEC teams at home, the maroon and white traveled to Tuscaloosa hungry for a win against Alabama — ranked first in the SEC West, to snap its losing streak.
Alabama’s team is dominated by seniors, coach G Guerrieri told 12thMan.com, which meant the fightin’ farmers would be facing a group of experienced players during their match.
When the Tide scored a pair of goals early in the game, Guerrieri’s words came to fruition for his players. They began to fall behind offensively as the opposing team continued to gain momentum.
“They came out strong,” redshirt sophomore forward Laney Carroll said. “We knew they were a good side, they moved the ball well – their possession game was really great.”
After the first half ended with Alabama leading 2-0, the Aggies were challenged to come back from the deficit. However, the team was unable to capitalize on its scoring opportunities in the second half, and the match ended without a goal from the maroon and white, facing a 3-0 shutout and its third loss in a row.
Though they have faced a multitude of challenges within their conference, the team left Alabama thinking of ways to improve their gameplay.
“I think that we need to implement our style of play — make them chase first,” Carroll said.
With the rest of the season featuring matches with various other SEC competitors, the team is maintaining a positive mentality as they prepare for even more daunting matches.
“Luck will turn with our hard work, and the Aggies are a hard working team,” Guerrieri said to 12thMan.com. “This is a great group of young ladies that are going to be able to turn it … Going to Arkansas is another tall task for us, but I wouldn’t go with any other group.”
The Aggies’ next match will be in Arkansas on Thursday, Sept. 29 — another opportunity to implement new strategies in conference play. There, the team hopes to grab their first conference win of the season.