Cooler temps, turf fields await Aggies on two-match Connecticut trip
It’s the final stretch. T-minus two matches until SEC play.
Coming off two shutout wins at home, Texas A&M (4-2) will face Central Connecticut State (0-5-1) in Connecticut on Thursday for its final pre-conference stretch. Kickoff is set at 6 p.m. CT and can be streamed on NEC Front Row.
Sunday’s match at UConn kicks at 12 p.m. CT.
“The performance both on Thursday and then again on Sunday evening, [we were] really strong in the way that we wanted to defend,” A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. “First off, we were able to compact space and go at the opponent, holding TCU to no shots in the first half.
“On Sunday, we gave up a shot in the first two minutes and then held them to only one more shot in the entire game. It showed the ability for our players to lock down the opponent and be able to keep them on their heels for most of the match.”
Along with their strong performances on the pitch, the Aggies are in a unique position with their goalkeeping lineup.
Most recently, freshman Sydney Fuller was named SEC Player of the Week for her shutout against TCU, and graduate Grace McClellan produced a clean sheet in her first match of the season against LA Tech.
“I would say that we're probably the only team in the country with three separate goalkeepers that have all had shutout wins this year,” Guerrieri said. “I'm pleased with our goalkeepers for the culture of the team. It spreads into our goalkeepers and the way that they work for each other. The way that they fight for each other, how we can step in and put different people into the lineup, and the team hits and keeps moving forward every single game.”
Facing the Blue Devils and UConn Huskies on this trip, the Ags are getting a break from the Texas heat – temperatures will likely be between the mid-60s and 70s – and turf fields.
According to Guerrieri, A&M has not played a turf pitch since its Big-12 days.
“It's something that I've intentionally not played on because I don't like to roll the dice [to] play on it because of potential injuries,” he said. “(CCSU and UConn) have artificial fill in both of these surfaces. The field at Central Connecticut is narrower, so it'll be a little bit more difficult to play on than the UConn surface, which is a bigger field. We'll see how that goes.
“Like I said, it's the first time in more than a decade for us to play on it.”
Specific to CCSU, the Maroon & White hope to maintain the intensity and consistency they built over the past week.
This will, hopefully, allow them to control the pace of the match and minimize Blue Devil opportunities.
“You've got to start with the first win, then start stacking those wins together,” Guerrieri said. “You can't stack the wins together without the performances. Keeping our intensity and the way that we defend was an important part of the first win against TCU. Being able to keep that going and defend the way that we wanted to defend was really important in the win against LA Tech.
“It'll be the same thing in the match this Thursday against Central Connecticut. Going into their place and trying to play at our speed will be really, really important to us. That'll be a consistent thing, can we start to now stack performances together, which hopefully that process will put together the results that we want.”
After CCSU, A&M travels to UConn on Sunday to conclude non-conference play.
“A big part of what we schedule is about trying to find teams that are traditional winners,” Guerrieri said. “We want to play teams that are going to typically be at the top of their leagues. Central Connecticut, who is a perennial NCAA tournament participant, is one of those teams. They are traditionally one of those sides.
“UConn is one of those teams that also is a perennial NCAA tournament team. That's a team that – going all the way back to Len Tsantiris — who's one of the all-time winningest coaches in women's soccer history — has been in Final Fours and national championship games, has been always up there playing at Joe Morrone Stadium is a cool setting as well.”
Guerrieri & Co. look to foster a strong team unit leading into SEC play, which begins on Thursday, Sept. 19, against Missouri.
“We're going to be on the road from Wednesday… and we don't get back until early in the morning on Monday,” Guerrieri said. “It's a long period, five days. Five strong days together. As far as being together, working together and trying to get these results.
“Then we'll go back out on the road in a couple of days to go up to Mizzou to open the SEC season. That's what all of this is about, to get ourselves to wrap up the non-conference season together as a unit.”
