After an early exit from the SEC Tournament in late October, Texas A&M couldn't find redemption in the NCAA Tournament as they fell to Texas in the first round on Friday in Austin, 3-1.
“I’m disappointed with the result," A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. "Texas is a really good team. [Trinity] Byars up front is such a handful and she scored a great goal to win it.
"We are going to work when nobody is watching, we have some great leaders still within this group. We will get some injured players back and then we just signed a super class that can come in and help us out. I am enthused about the future, I've always said the best is still ahead. This is a season we can definitely build upon and get better for next year."
- A&M head coach G Guerrieri
"I was proud of our players, they never gave up, fought back from being down one nothing. A good performance by those guys and for us just coming up short."
The Longhorns wasted no time scoring on its home turf. In the 12th minute, Jilly Shimkin capitalized on a free kick to break the seal.
An intense battle soon ensued between the two teams who last met in the 2019 NCAA playoffs, where the Aggies eliminated the Longhorns.
In the 36th minute, Makhiya McDonald attempted to get A&M on the board. The sophomore forward ran the ball down into the box with great control but swiftly passed when she ran into a few burnt orange jerseys, leading to a failed shot attempt by redshirt freshman Andersen Williams.
Giving the Aggies a spark in the 58th minute was sophomore forward Maile Hayes. Hayes tied the game after knocking the ball into the back of the net off of a free kick that was the result of a tie-up with a Longhorn defender.
The tie was ultimately short-lived. A determined Trinity Byars gave the Longhorns an edge in the 65th minute when she curved past Katie Smith and slipped a goal past Caldwell to retake the lead, 2-1.
In the 79th minute, Ashlyn Miller sealed the game for the Longhorns after a corner kick set the ball in place for an easy score.
Brooke Homfeld, TexAgs
Maile Hayes finishes the season with a team-leading 10 goals and five assists.
Hayes, who never lost intensity during the matchup, tried her best to make something happen for the Aggies in the final minutes. But her bottom-center shot in the 83rd minute was saved, and the team began to lose momentum with the final whistle approaching.
A&M did not have an answer for the Longhorns as they were outshot 16-8 — a rarity for a team that has outshot its opponents all season.
The loss marks the end of the season for the Aggies as they officially close the year 9-7-5.
"We are going to work when nobody is watching, we have some great leaders still within this group,” Guerrieri said. “We will get some injured players back and then we just signed a super class that can come in and help us out.
"I am enthused about the future, I've always said the best is still ahead. This is a season we can definitely build upon and get better for next year."
