The Texas A&M soccer team will look to rebound after two-straight SEC losses when they play host to No. 5 South Carolina at Ellis Field on Thursday night.
The Aggies (7-4, 2-2 SEC) return to College Station coming off a two-game road trip that took them to Nashville in a 2-0 loss to Vanderbilt and Tuscaloosa resulting in a 2-1 loss to Alabama in overtime.
“This makes Thursday’s match incredibly important for us,” head coach G Guerrieri said to 12thman.com following the loss to Alabama. “South Carolina is the hottest team in the league. They’re a very talented and well-coached team. We’ve got to get our unhealthy players healthy and coach everybody else up, as well.”
After winning six-straight games in a row including five of six being shutouts behind senior keeper Danielle Rice, the Aggies have skidded just a bit, but not without cause.
A&M has played a few matches without key players — sophomores Kate Hajdu and Emily Bates, junior Stephanie Malherbe and senior Ashlynn Harryman. Junior Mikaela Harvey missed the first half against Vanderbilt, but played in the second half of that match.
Junior Haley Pounds keeps scoring for the Aggies, netting the lone goal for her team that ended up forcing overtime. She has six goals for the season, to go alongside four assists.
The Gamecocks (10-0, 4-0 SEC) come into town undefeated and off of a 3-0 win over Kentucky at home. South Carolina is lead offensively by junior Savannah McCaskill with 10 goals, six assists and 26 points, putting her second in the country in goals scored. Trailing their offensive leader is senior Chelsea Drennan with five goals and three assists.
South Carolina’s freshman keeper Hunter Peifer has put up two shutouts on the way to an undefeated record.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will broadcast on the SEC Network and can be heard on 1550 AM.
