In a match it simply couldn’t afford to lose, Texas A&M soccer came together to battle for a playoff spot with a victory over Vanderbilt.
Led by senior defender Karlina Sample and sophomore midfielder Barbara Olivieri, the Aggies outscored the Commodores 2-1 on Sunday, Oct. 24, at Ellis Field. Not only did the victory mark the end of A&M’s 2021 home slate, it also snapped the Aggies’ three-match winless streak dating back to Oct. 10.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first 19 minutes of the match before Sample broke the stalemate by heading in a corner kick from Olivieri to score. This goal marked Sample’s first career goal as an Aggie, fittingly enough during what could potentially be her last home game. In addition, Sample is now the 13th Aggie to record a goal this season.
“We had talked about giving 100 percent effort and 100 percent energy, and I think that just shows our focus and hard work,” Sample said. “We wanted to leave Ellis Field on a good note, and I’m glad that we were able to get those results.”
The Commodores evened the score in the 29th minute with a goal from freshman forward Hillary Schroeder. The score remained stagnant for the remainder of the half, with A&M leading with six shots and three shots on goal.
Much like the first half, the Aggies were quiet on offense until nearly halfway through the second half when Olivieri gave the Aggies the lead on a winding shot in the 66th minute off an assist from freshman forward Maile Hayes and sophomore forward Lauren Geczik. The goal makes Olivieri second on the team in goals for the season, despite playing in only ten games.
“My teammates and coaches have been hyping me up a lot and telling me to keep going, and that if it’s not going your way don’t get frustrated,” Olivieri said. “I just got that from my coaches and teammates and I saw the open shot, so I thought, ‘I’m just going to take it and hope it goes in.'”
The A&M defense held up for the entirety of the second half, with junior goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell keeping Vanderbilt from scoring despite six shots and two shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Jordan Burbank accounted for one save in the first half.
“I was really pleased with the fight in my team,” A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. “I thought today you saw a better fight than we’ve seen in much of the last four games. And so for that, how do I feel? I feel great.”
The victory keeps the maroon and white in position to appear in the Southeastern Conference tournament, which is comprised of the conference’s ten best teams. With A&M currently sitting at the 10th spot, the Oct. 28 matchup against Missouri is essentially a must-win as well.
“We’ve got to go in and understand that we’re playing against a team that’s putting everything they have left in the season on this game,” Guerrieri said. “It’ll come down to determination and us being able to focus and stay within ourselves to play within our abilities.”
The Aggies close out the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 28 against the Tigers. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Columbia, Mo.