The Aggies have done it again.
In a clash between two of the SEC’s hottest teams, No. 7 A&M squeaked past No. 20 Kentucky in a 1-0 win Sunday to win the soccer team’s second consecutive SEC tournament championship.
A&M (18-2-2) sported three players in the first all-SEC team, including Annie Kunz, who played with a broken rib. Despite her breathing issues, she battled through a game against a Wildcats (15-6-0) team led by the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Arin Gilliland.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Shea Groom, scored the only goal of the match, which came in the 30th minute. Groom’s 14th goal of the year was a header from inside the box, which was reached from a Haley Pounds’ corner on the right side.
Kentucky outshot A&M 13-10, but Aggie goalkeeper Jordan Day rescued her team with six saves. A&M came into the championship with the fewest saves in the SEC, averaging 2.7 per match.
Day was the story for the Aggies throughout the SEC tournament. The senior improved to 9-0-1 on the season with her 40th clean sheet of her career.
Although Renee McDermott helped A&M in Day’s absence this season, Day played the entire tournament without being scored on.
Although the scoreboard held constant for the last 60 minutes, the game came down to the wire. Bianca Brinson attempted to take the pressure off the nip-and-tuck match, with a header in the closing minutes of the first half. In the previous match against South Carolina, Brinson scored an 87th-minute clincher. Sunday, she came up short.
Kelli Hubly led the Wildcats with four shots, three of which were on target. Gilliland however, was blanked in every stat.
A&M snapped Kentucky’s eight-game winning streak since falling 2-1 to the Aggies at Ellis Field on Oct. 5. The win for the Aggies improves their SEC tournament record to 7-1 since joining the conference in 2012.
A&M’s second straight conference tournament title earns the team an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Soccer action will resume Friday, and the NCAA Selection Show at 3:30 p.m. Monday will notify teams of their seeding and opening opponents.
Photo provided.