A Jimena Lopez free kick in the first half was the difference as the Aggies scrapped out a win against a resurgent LSU team Wednesday night.
After picking up their first wins of the season in the first two rounds of the SEC Tournament, the Tigers were looking to pull off a huge upset against the second-seeded Aggies. A fantastic defensive performance from the maroon and white kept the Tigers’ dream from becoming reality, though.
Dominating the first half of action and after a series of good chances, the Aggies finally broke the deadlock in the 41st minute when Jimena Lopez’s looped free kick deceived LSU goalkeeper Mollee Swift and sailed into the back of the net. The Aggies went into the halftime break having forced Swift into 5 saves and with a 9-2 advantage in shots.
LSU came flying out of the gates after the restart creating a few good chances in the first 10 minutes, but succumbed to fatigue as the latter half of play dragged on.
Special mentions should be made to the Aggie frontline who pressed tirelessly throughout the entire match, snuffing out attacks and often forcing the Tiger midfield into backpasses. The Aggies were also solid in the defensive third, restricting most of LSU into shots from distance. Sophomore goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell made six stops, though most of them were comfortable.
The fine defensive showcase from A&M earned the Aggies their fifth clean sheet of the season.
“We’ve defended better than we have in a long time,” said A&M coach G Guerrieri. “It’s been great to have that sturdy backbone to withstand the pressure a team will put us under.”
With the win, the Aggies improve to 8-1-0 on the season and advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament where they will play Vanderbilt on Thursday night, Nov. 19. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:30 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.