Texas A&M soccer took a hard scratch from LSU at its hometown field in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The 4-1 game was the first Tiger win against the Aggies since 2009. The LSU Soccer Stadium honored pediatric and mental health awareness with this match as the two teams went head-to-head in this long-awaited cat-and-dog fight.
The first half was slow to begin, with an overall struggle for complete possession of the ball. Play seemed determined to stay in the midfield and both sides were too comfortable for the first twenty minutes of the game. However, the Aggies lit a fire with the first foul of the game — just the spark, as the team’s aggressiveness matched the stakes of the game.
While the Aggies defense was fired up, the Tigers’ attack embodied the saying, ‘you miss all the shots you don’t take.’ After four attempted shots in their opening push, victory finally hit home 22 minutes into the game. After a dream-team assist from senior forward Ida Hermannsdóttir and senior defender Sydney Cheesman, senior D Jazmin Ferguson forced the ball to meet the net as she took her shot. In an attempt to recover, A&M bit back with three more shots, but LSU wasn’t finished as it landed four additional shots on frame before the Aggies could leave a mark.
The first half for A&M was a strenuous battle of chances that were just shy of being taken advantage of. The team fought aggressively against the Tiger forwards and continuously recovered the ball. Unfortunately, the Aggies paid a costly price when a free kick resulted in an injury to junior D Mia Scranton. When Scranton was ahead with the ball, she was cut off and sustained a fall that resulted in her being substituted.
The end of the half was fuel to both the teams’ fire, as the defense for both sides held strong to prevent any further damage for either side. The half concluded with a 1-0 Tiger head start.
Everyone was all in at the LSU Soccer Stadium in the second half. Two minutes in, freshman F Sariyah Bailey’s heels were on fire. Bailey saw the perfect opportunity to land a direct shot on goal, and she took it.
With the low right corner undefended, the ball landed home to give Louisiana their second goal of the game. The Aggies met this ferocity with their own, as a double shot on the Tigers was taken by freshman F Holly Storer, which was then rebounded by sophomore midfielder Kat Campell. Though A&M’s persistence was blocked with an empty scoreboard, its spirit had not dimmed.
Following its strong head start, LSU pounced on another opportunity to make its name known. After an offside call on A&M, junior M Gabbi Ceballos found Bailey just in time to land another goal in the frame for the Tigers.
Following the goal from LSU, A&M knew it was its time to show off as sophomore F Savannah Hutchins led the pack to its chance of victory. After a saved shot on goal by junior goalkeeper Audur Scheving, Hutchins’ pass met junior midfielder Trinity Buchanan with nothing but victory in mind. Buchanan took advantage of the low left and landed a stunning goal for A&M in the second half of the game.
If the first half wasn’t enough action for both teams, the second half surely made up for it. The spark of fuel for the Tigers charred the field as Bailey and junior F Ava Galligan gave freshman M Daniela Hellin the chance to further drive home a Louisiana victory with a high-right shot on goal. It hit the back of the net, concluding the match on the last shot with a 4-1 score.
A&M will continue its fight to get in the postseason against Missouri in front of the 12th Man on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
