Texas A&M hockey suffered its ninth-straight defeat against the SMU Mustangs on Friday, Nov. 17, at Richardson StarCenter by a score of 5-2. This game dropped the Aggies to a lowly 3-11 record for the season.
This one started off with SMU scoring in the third minute of the first period, with senior forward Clayton Malone giving the Mustangs an early 1-0 lead.
The Aggies would eventually respond in the period, as junior forward Marshall Rushing scored in the 12th minute to even the score at 1. This wouldn’t last long, however, as freshman forward Tripp Miley, who is up to 18 points in 2023, gave the Mustangs a 2-1 lead late in the first.
There was a good amount of back and forth in the first between the two teams, and tensions rose a few times in the first. The score would hold as the period came to a close, with A&M looking to grab its first lead of the evening.
In the second, the Maroon and White tied it once again at 2 with 13:16 left in the second. When it looked like A&M had the momentum, SMU responded in a massive way. The Mustangs proceeded to score three-straight unanswered goals, including the first coming from senior forward Alex McBey, who now has four goals this season.
Malone and Miley both tacked on one each, giving them both a pair of goals on the night for the Mustangs. This was Malone’s fourth game of the season scoring multiple goals for SMU, whereas it was the third for Miley. The period would end with a 5-2 score in favor of SMU, giving it a commanding lead heading into the final frame of this match.
Despite the deficit, the Aggies continued to remain aggressive and physical in the third, trying desperately to get back into the game. The Mustangs were not letting up defensively, keeping A&M out of the scoring column and matching its energy.
The Aggies took multiple shots on goal to try and make a dent in the Mustang lead, but they were stonewalled at any attempt to do so. With the Aggies having no answers for the Mustangs, the 5-2 score held for SMU in the final period, giving A&M yet another crushing defeat.