The No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies took the Georgia Bulldogs for a walk for the second time Wednesday night, claiming a 3-0 victory in the SEC tournament quarterfinal matchup.
Much like last week’s 2-1 victory that secured a No. 1 overall seed in the conference tournament, A&M got off to an early lead and never looked back as it advanced closer to becoming the first team to win back-to-back regular and postseason SEC titles since Florida in 2001.
In the sixth minute of play Wednesday, Bianca Brinson shot her seventh score of the 2014 campaign past Bulldog goalkeeper Louise Hogrell for an early 1-0 advantage. Brinson had four shots during the night.
A&M (16-2-2, 10-1-1 SEC) managed just six first-half shots, a low total for a team that entered the contest averaging more than 21 per game.
Head coach G. Guerrieri, in his 22nd season, adjusted at halftime to help improve the offensive attack in the second half.
In the 46th minute, off an assist by Shea Groom, fellow senior Annie Kunz doubled the lead for A&M. Kunz also had an assist on the night.
Assisted by senior Kelley Monogue, Meghan Streight scored on a header for her second goal of the year that sealed the victory over Georgia. With a 3-0 advantage, Guerrieri slowed the pace of play and saw his team coast to a shutout victory and a semifinal appearance.
Goalkeeper Jordan Day spent the entire match in the net for A&M, recording a save. For the Bulldogs, Hogrell recorded three saves as Georgia dropped to 10-7-2 on the season.
Thanks to a large margin of victory, many starters were able to rest their legs toward the end of the contest. Only four A&M players other than Day played 75 or more minutes on Wednesday night.
A&M finished the contest with 16 shots compared to the Bulldogs’ five.
The season for the Bulldogs now comes to a halt as they anticipate next Monday’s NCAA Selection Committee decision on tournament seeding. With the loss tonight, their season likely comes to an end. As for A&M, their case for a No. 1 seed is as strong as any team’s in the country. Victories Friday, and potentially Sunday, only strengthen its case.
A&M plays South Carolina 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Alabama. A victory there includes a ticket to the SEC final 2 p.m. Sunday.