Regular season concludes as A&M suffers 2-0 defeat to Mississippi State

It was a bittersweet night in Aggieland.

Honoring its seniors and hosting its final regular season match of the year, Texas A&M (8-8-2, 3-5-2) fell to No. 3 Mississippi State (15-1, 9-0) on Sunday evening at Ellis Field, 2-0.

The loss handed the Bulldogs the Southeastern Conference regular-season title for the 2024 season.

“We have to keep our heads up and take some confidence from these last two games,” captain Carolyn Calzada said. “We didn't come out with the results that we wanted, but we were able to get a tie against Arkansas, which was huge. They score a lot of goals. I think they have the highest game or goals per game average in the NCAA, so having a shutout against them proved that we can defend against anybody.

“Tonight, I think we had amazing possession against a team that's really strong and really good at keeping possession.”

The scoreless first half was undoubtedly highlighted by the Aggies, as their defensive line stood out from the start.

A defensive deflection off a Hannah Johnson shot attempt gave the Ags possession in the first minutes of play. A corner kick by Mia Pante in the 14th minute allowed for A&M’s closest attempt of the night. Receiving and butting the ball toward goal, Taylor Jernigan handed off possession to Sydney Becerra.

Close at goal, surrounded by players from each team, Becerra managed two shots on goal.

A team save and one by keeper Maddy Anderson ended the Ags’ chance.

Sydney Fuller held her own in goal, snagging a central shot by Aitana Martinez-Montoya in the 23rd minute.

The Ags led the half with six corners, six shots and three shots on goal. Becerra, Grace Ivey and Pante each accounted for two shots.

“In the first half, we had all the chances, and we weren't displeased at all with most of the possession,” A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. “We had all the chances. We just weren't finishing with quality.”

The Bulldogs entered the pitch with more determination for the second half.

In the first 51st minute, Ally Perry scored the first goal of the match. Assisted by Kennedy Husbands, the shot was sent from a distance and landed just out of Fuller’s reach.

“We knew they were good at scoring goals outside of the box, so that was something we needed to be aware of, and they got a half chance at the top of their box and put a goal away early into the second half,” Calzada said. “I thought we shut them down well in the first half and even outside of the opportunity for the second half, so I'm proud of how our team as a whole defended, and we won balls in the midfield.”

The match briefly took even footing with a culmination of fouls by each team, neither of which could get close to goal.

Adysen Armenta finally broke into the box for the Ags in the 69th minute but couldn’t find a way through the Bulldogs backline.

In the following 10 minutes of play, five A&M attempts were met with two by State. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs had more luck in their placement.

A 79th-minute goal by Elle McCaslin extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 2-0, securing the victory.

“We had a couple of issues where we played kind of into their trap,” Guerrieri said. “We thought that we needed to do a little bit better with that. You gotta give State a lot of credit.

“They had two sniffs of goal, kind of a fortunate shot for them that kind of somehow went underneath the crossbar and in... Good for them that they were able to score on those two key moments, and that's why they're now champions of the SEC.”

The Maroon & White held the lead in attempts across the night. Their 12 shots and five shots on goal were subordinate to State’s higher accuracy – with seven shots and two goals.

“We're kind of scratching our heads as far as how that game got away from us when we were in control of it for 95 percent of it,” Guerrieri said. “It's been a frustrating type of year for us because we played so well. I'm proud of the way that our players played tonight because they played so well in so many key moments and key areas of the game.

“When you can't score goals, it just puts a lot of pressure on the defense. It puts a lot of pressure on other parts of the game when your scoring is dried up.”

Fortunately for the Aggies, Thursday’s tie to No. 5 Arkansas secured their placement in the SEC Tournament.

“We have to come out with at least an overtake. We have to get at least two penalty kicks in the first game,” Guerrieri said postgame. “To know that we're going to at least have a chance to be selected by the NCAA committee, it'll come right down to that.

“The good news is we have great results against teams that are gonna be seeded in the NCAA Tournament when the committee looks at that… A win today would have sealed the deal for us. We would have known that we'd have been in, probably would have a chance of hosting.”

Though NCAA consideration is pending, the Maroon & White are unfaltering in their commitment to postseason excellence. Working on accuracy, making goals and finishing on chances will prove crucial.

“We've been in do-or-die situations for quite a while now,” Guerierri said. “It's why every call that's made is a big deal. Why every shot that we take is a big deal. Why every save that our goalkeepers make is a big deal. So that's how we've been living.

“We've been living on the balcony for a while and trying to walk that tightrope a little bit. So that's how we go into this tournament. And so that makes it where it's not quite as scary because we've been living here for a while. We're used to these heights.”

The Aggies will travel to Pensacola, Florida, and play their first match of the SEC Tournament on Sunday.

Information about match times and opponents is pending.