Aggies fall to Tennessee, 3-0, ending their season in the Sweet 16
The Aggies 2018 campaign came to a close on Sunday night as they fell to Tennessee 3-0 in Knoxville. The maroon and white had a multitude of chances but Lady Vol goalkeeper Shae Yanez notched eight saves, preventing the Aggies from finding the back of the net.
“Obviously we’re disappointed in the result, but Tennessee scored three great goals. Their goalkeeper was the difference in the match,” A&M head coach G Guerrieri said.
For the third consecutive game, the Aggies utilized a 4-5-1 formation with Ally Watt at striker. Though the same formation as Friday’s match, A&M head coach G Guerrieri made some adjustments to the starting lineup, inserting Kate Hadju into the midfield in place of Tera Zeimer.
The Lady Vols quickly got on the board, as midfielder Meghan Flynn crossed the ball to Danielle Marcano who was waiting at the top of the six-yard box. Marcano then tapped the ball into the far side-netting out of the reach of A&M goalkeeper Cosette Morche.
There was a heightened sense of urgency from the Aggie side after conceding the goal, and the maroon and white initiated counterattacks that resulted in some prime scoring opportunities. Perhaps the most notable opportunity for A&M came in the 26th minute when defensive midfielder Grace Piper connected with Addie McCain. McCain took a quick touch and played a perfectly weighted ball onto the foot of Ally Watt just outside the six-yard box. Watt toed the ball into the lower right corner of the woodwork but Yanez was able to make a fingertip save.
“We had most of the possession, we had more shots on goal, more chances, but Shae (Yanez) made three fantastic saves, and that’s what it takes,” Guerrieri said.
The Aggies were the aggressor for the remaining minutes of the half but their goal-scoring attempts proved fruitless. A&M trailed the Vols 1-0 at the intermission.
The Lady Vols started the half firing on all cylinders, supplementing their lead just two minutes into the half. Bunny Shaw passed it to Danielle Marcano who split two A&M defenders and ripped a left-footed shot into the left side-netting from 10 yards out.
The Aggies controlled possession for the majority of the half but just weren’t able to penetrate Tennessee’s stout back line. The Lady Vols iced the game in the 67th minute as Salera Jordan headed a cross from Meghan Flynn out of the reach of Morche. The Aggies had late chances but it was too little too late and the final whistle signaled the end of their season.
“Congratulations to them. They’re a really solid team, I hope that they go out and can take care of Stanford. They will represent the SEC well, I know,” Guerrieri said. “I’m disappointed it’s not going to be us again this time, but really happy for the Vols and what they’ll be able to do next week after Thanksgiving.”
The final whistled also marked the end of the collegiate careers of six seniors including Cosette Morche, Emily Bates and Kendall Ritchie.
“This has been a terrific senior class. It is a class that has excelled and helped us win championships on the field, to make four runs through the NCAA championship during their career,” Guerrieri said. “They leave the program on stable footing as we move forward and continue to step up our program.”