Texas A&M soccer drops third straight, falls to No. 5 South Carolina, 1-0

Texas A&M soccer played with more heart than we have seen yet in their match-up against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Thursday night. Following two consecutive losses on the road, the Aggies knew they had to leave it all on the field.

For 87 minutes of the game, Texas A&M was able to keep the Gamecocks out of the net. However, a long ball with three minutes left gave South Carolina all they needed to walk away with a 1-0 win. The loss brings the Aggies' record to 7-5-0.

"We're frustrated. That's the most (losses) we've ever had in a row," Aggie head coach G. Guerrieri said.

"It's not that we showed up, and we weren't ourselves. They're very good. They're having a special year. Knowing that, that's why I'm disappointed in the way that (the game) ended. I thought that we had done everything we needed to," Guerrieri added. "We have to find a way to get goals."

Despite the return of Olympian Stephanie Malherbe on Thursday, Texas A&M was still fighting with an arm tied behind their back, with three starters sidelined due to injury.

After failing to take a shot on goal for the first 70 minutes of the game, the Aggies showcased newfound energy and were finally able to put pressure on the Gamecocks' goal a little over halfway through the second half.

South Carolina held off the attack, and the two teams were neck-and-neck, rapidly trading possession in the midfield.

Just as time began to dwindle, South Carolina forward Savannah McCaskill received a long ball from Lindsey Lane from 60 yards down field. McCaskill brought the ball down, turning the play into a one-on-one with Texas A&M goal keeper Danielle Rice.

With pressure approaching from the Aggie defenders, McCaskill slid and barely slipped a ground ball into the back of the net from eight yards out with only three minutes left..

Texas A&M was unable to respond to the goal, leaving the Aggies with their third consecutive loss.

Aside from the defeat, the Aggies remain proud of the the way they played Thursday night and are confident in their ability to make a comeback in the SEC.

"Our team's work ethic is awesome," Malherbe said. "I think it's essential at this point to stay positive and stay united as a team, rather than getting down on ourselves. We still have plenty of opportunity to beat really good opposition and move up in the SEC, so we just need to focus on taking it one game at a time."

Texas A&M will take on Missouri next Thursday at Ellis Field at 6:30 p.m.