Photo by Abigail Cook, TexAgs
Texas A&M Soccer
Abigail Cook, TexAgs
Ally Watt used her speed and athleticism so set the Aggies up multiple times in the second half
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Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Haley Pounds capitalized on two second half chances that put A&M in the lead at 3-2
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Blown Away: Aggies fall on windy night to Ole Miss, 4-3
For 88 minutes of Sunday’s wet and windy game at Ellis Field, Texas A&M soccer had to feel good about the way it played.
Unfortunately for A&M and their SEC hopes, the other 70 seconds of poor defense sealed their fate.
In the 69th and 70th minutes, Ole Miss scored two goals from inside ten yards to tie, then jump ahead of A&M. The last of the two made things 4-3, and that is the way Sunday’s match with Ole Miss would end.
Out of the gates, A&M had a tough task in front of it.
Abigail Cook, TexAgs
Ally Watt used her speed and athleticism so set the Aggies up multiple times in the second half
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The Rebels are a good possession team on most nights, but with a strong wind at their backs, they have scary potential.
At the 1:55 mark, the Aggies tried and failed to clear a ball deep in their own territory. They would quickly pay for it as the Rebels’ Gretchen Harknett slammed a shot into the left side from 17 yards out for a 1-0 lead.
A&M would respond twenty minutes later as Mikaela Harvey saw an opportunity and took it from 20 yards out. Her shot drew into the left corner post and past a diving keeper.
All six of Harvey’s goals this season have seemed to come at a critical time for A&M. That’s a trait that doesn't surprise her coach.
“That was a great goal by Mikaela to get us started,” head coach G Guerrieri said. “That was really important for us and she was in great spots all night. You cannot question that kids heart. She’s a great player all the way around.”
While the Rebels added another goal in the 22nd minute, A&M trailed just 2-1 at the half and now had at least a 20 MPH wind at its back.
“Coming out of halftime, we felt like we had weathered the storm,” Guerrieri said. “We felt like we could come out and press them a little more, which we did.”
Down by a single goal, the Aggies figured out an offensive strategy that worked extremely well.
With the wind aiding them, time after time the Ags flipped it down the right side to a speeding Ally Watt, who in turn would set the Aggie offense up.
That became especially important on two occasions.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Haley Pounds capitalized on two second half chances that put A&M in the lead at 3-2
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First, Watt was fouled in the box, setting up a penalty kick for Haley Pounds, which she netted for the 2-2 tie. Then, nine minutes later at the 53:40 mark, a Watt cross eventually created a corner for Pounds.
That was an opportunity the coaching staff and Pounds had been expecting, and for good reason, as she nailed it just inside the far post and gave A&M a 3-2 lead.
“G (Guerrieri) was telling me before the game to practice my in-swing corners,” Pounds said. “It was good to get that goal, but I think we could have just held the ball better in the end.”
The but is important there, as seven minutes later, Ole Miss struck back with a vengeance.
On two occasions, in the 69th and 70th minutes, CeCe Kizer received a pass inside ten yards and was granted an open look. She finished both times, quickly putting the Aggies in a hole they wouldn't recover from.
For Guerrieri, it was a hard loss to take.
“It was really disappointing,” He said. “We just had some really poor marking and on three of their goals, there was basically no pressure on them. They’re too good of a team to let that happen.
“I thought our fight was really good, but our quality just wasn't there. It’s an unfortunate lesson for us learn and get better from.”
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