Texas A&M soccer is preparing for the opening match of its 2021 campaign. The Aggies will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on the Florida State Seminoles, who are the top-ranked team in the nation heading into the season.
The match is just the first in a trio of difficult opponents the Aggies will face starting the season, as they visit No. 8 TCU on Aug. 22 and host the No. 7 Clemson Tigers on Aug. 28.
A&M finished the 2020 season with a three-game run in the NCAA Tournament. After taking down No. 15 USF 2-0 and defeating No. 19 Oklahoma State 4-3 in penalties, A&M suffered a 1-0 loss to No. 2 North Carolina in the quarterfinals.
The Aggies, who rank No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, had two exhibition games to start off the year, a 1-1 draw at North Texas and a 2-0 victory hosting Baylor.
A&M will enter the season with lofty expectations in the SEC, splitting the first-place votes in preseason conference voting.
Coach G Guerrieri enters his 29th season at the helm of the squad, having coached since the team’s foundation in 1993. During his tenure with the Aggies, he has become one of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division I soccer, leading A&M to 26-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, to seven Elite Eight appearances and to the 2014 NCAA Women’s College Cup.
The squad also boasts talented returning players. Karlina Sample, an All-American and the 2020 SEC Co-Defender of the Year, is entering her senior season. Freshman forward Makhiya McDonald stood out in the exhibition matches, scoring the lone goal against UNT and assisting a goal by redshirt freshman forward Andersen Williams against Baylor.
The match against Florida State will kick off on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Seminole Soccer Complex.