Texas A&M seeks stronger starts as two-game homestand opens

A return home.

Just what the Aggies need to regain momentum.

After a 1-0 loss at Baylor this past Saturday, Texas A&M (2-2) returns to Ellis Field to host TCU (4-1) for Cavalry Youth night on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.

“We want people to come out and know that we are playing for them and that we appreciate them being out at (Ellis),” A&M head coach G Guerrieri said on Monday. “We're going to put everything we can in for them.”

The match in Waco ended with only one Aggie shot-on-goal.

Facing TCU, the Maroon & White hope to create more opportunities for tap-ins by building up plays and being more aggressive out of the gate.

“We don't need to be waiting around and toying with people. We need to be getting after people right from the get-go,” Guerrieri said. “You look at our first half of performances in our wins. That's what we're looking for. That's the consistency that we're looking for. We didn't have a good first half against Baylor. The second half was a little bit better.

“We've got to do better as far as putting more pressure on the ball in the middle of the field.”

TCU boasts four members of this year’s All-Big 12 Preseason Team with junior forward Seven Castain, defender Grace Coppinger, senior forward Camryn Lancaster and midfielder Oli Pena.

In last year’s matchup, Castain scored the winning goal against the Aggies.

“They've got outstanding attacking players,” Guerrieri said. “They've got, as you can see with four wins and four shutouts, an outstanding defensive unit and the ability to shut teams down, hold teams in bay; but really a strong defense because of their ability to keep the ball.”

The Horned Frogs were also picked to finish third in the Big 12 by the league’s preseason poll.

The Maroon & White are 13-3 in matchups against TCU.

“This would be a great skin on the wall for us, and it's a big frog skin,” Guerrieri said. “This is a team that, even though they didn't make the NCAA Tournament last year, is an NCAA Tournament-level team and a team that has won three Big 12 championships in the last five years.

“They're a team that is highly respected and a team that, if we can get a result, is going to be a well-respected result when the NCAA Tournament committee is looking at postseason play and postseason bids.”

However, in recent years, the Horned Frogs have gotten the best of A&M, with all three of their wins coming since 2020.

It’ll be a vital battle for the Aggies as they hope to move past .500.

“It’s a big, big match, interstate rival and a lot of bragging rights on the line,” Guerrieri said. “[There’s] a lot of mutual respect with the two teams and the staffs. We get along with them very well up until kickoff, and then once (the match) is over, we get along with them very well as we go through the year.”

Thursday’s match marks the start of a quick two-game homestand as Guerrieri & Co. take on LA Tech on Sunday.