Texas A&M soccer earned a dominant win over Missouri on Thursday, Oct. 16, at Ellis Field, handing the Tigers their seventh-straight loss. The victory came at a crucial time, with the Aggies’ backs against the wall in their second-to-last home game of the regular season.

Both teams entered Ellis Field looking to find their rhythm as the Southeastern Conference regular season winds down. The Aggies came in with a 4-6-4 record, facing a must-win situation to keep their postseason hopes alive while attempting to climb out of 13th place in the SEC.

Missouri, meanwhile, hasn’t looked in tip top shape either, as the Tigers sat just one spot below A&M with a 4-9-1 record. With both teams tied at just three conference points, this matchup was crucial for both sides hoping to build late-season momentum.

A&M came out of the gate aggressive on offense, when junior forward Kaylee Noble set the tone early with an electric goal just three minutes into the match — the quickest goal of the season for A&M — to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

“Early goals definitely impact the whole game,” Noble said. “It brought us some momentum and a chance to win.” 

Riding the energy, A&M continued to apply pressure and controlled possession for much of the opening half.

As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. By keeping the ball on Missouri’s side of the pitch, the Aggies limited the Tigers to just two shots in the first half. However, the game came to a halt after a frightening collision between sophomore midfielder Bella James and a Missouri player, as both went up for a header and clashed heads in the air. James suffered a bleeding head injury and was escorted off the field by trainers.

“She’s a tough kid, she took a couple stitches to her forehead,” A&M Coach G Guerrieri said. “But she’ll be fine, we’re hoping she’ll be okay to play Sunday.” 

The intensity slowed noticeably afterward, with both teams keeping the ball mostly in midfield and struggling to gain momentum.

But then just before halftime — much to the chagrin of the 12th Man in attendance — senior defender Bella Yakel was called for a handball in the final six seconds of the first half. The foul awarded Missouri junior M Olivia Chianelli a penalty kick, and with only three seconds remaining, she converted the penalty, silencing the Ellis Field crowd and sending the teams into halftime tied 1-1.

“It took the juice out of us,” Guerrieri said. “It probably took us eight minutes to kind of get reloaded.”

As the Aggies ran back onto the field through a tunnel of applauding 12th Man fans, they appeared determined to regain the lead in the second half. But Missouri didn’t care about A&M’s homefield advantage, as the Tigers came out swinging in the opening minutes, refusing to let the Aggies find their rhythm.

However, as the second half progressed the Aggies began to find their tempo, matching the Tigers’ intensity. Both teams traded possession and shots in a back-and-forth battle. Junior MTrinity Buchanan led the Aggies’ charge with two shots on goal, while Missouri responded with a flurry of attempts from senior M Bella Carrillo, sophomore M Landis Canada and junior midfielder McKenna Moran.

In the 69th minute, A&M suffered another blow to its already injury-plagued roster when freshman D Tessa Lavender went down with an apparent leg injury. Despite the setback, the Aggies pushed forward, and their persistence paid off when Tiger senior D Jessica Larson was called for a critical foul inside the box, setting up a penalty kick for A&M. 

As the 12th Man hammered the metal railings in anticipation, Yakel stepped up and calmly buried the shot in the 72nd minute, reclaiming the lead for the Aggies, 2–1.

“I’ve been practicing all week waiting for this moment to come,” Yakel said. “I felt really confident to step and take it.”

Fueled by the clutch goal, the Maroon and White stayed composed and locked in defensively, playing with relentless pressure to protect their advantage. As the final whistle blew, the Aggies held firm, securing the 2-1 victory while earning a crucial SEC victory in front of the 12th Man at Ellis Field.

“I think it gives us a lot of momentum going into Sunday, going to No. 8 South Carolina,” Yakel said. “This is a big step for us.” 

Following the victory the Aggies are now 5-6-4 on the season, as A&M will look to extend its winning streak against No. 8 South Carolina at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.