Trio of critical matches for A&M remain as LSU comes to Ellis on Friday
The pieces are there. They just need to be placed together.
After suffering back-to-back losses to Alabama and Vanderbilt, Texas A&M (8-7, 3-4) returns to Ellis Field to face LSU (7-7-1, 2-5). The match is set to kick at 7 p.m. CT.
With only three matches remaining, each opportunity is officially critical for the Aggies.
“Our game against LSU becomes a really big match for both teams as we're both vying for postseason NCAA consideration,” head coach G Guerrieri said. “With ourselves, coming off of a tough road loss is something we're looking to get a good bounce back from and let's use it as a quality side, so we have to get ourselves well this week. We get a few days of training at home and hopefully get in front of our crowd and get things moving again.”
Each of the Ags’ remaining opponents hold high RPIs. Winning these matches will be crucial for postseason consideration.
No. 5 Arkansas and No. 3 Mississippi State — whom the Aggies face next week — hold the third and fourth spots in the RPI, respectively. LSU is currently 49th, while the Maroon & White sits at 54.
“All three of our remaining games from an RPI standpoint are gold,” Guerrieri said. “They're all great opportunities for us … But really for us, we need to make sure that we get wins for our placement in the SEC. Currently, we're still in sixth place. We're trying to get a bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament.”
The Tigers are led by Ida Hermannsdottir, who has scored seven goals and 31 attempts. She is closely followed by Ava Galligan (four goals on 31 shots) and Andrea Iljic (four goals on 15 shots).
LSU enters Friday on a four-match losing streak, with losses to Texas, Kentucky, No. 11 Auburn and No. 3 Mississippi State. The Tigers are also three places behind A&M in the SEC standings.
“One of the things about Friday night's game that will be really interesting (is that) both teams have had some tough bounces against them,” Guerrieri said. “They're both really talented sides that are both hunting and desperate to get a result on Friday.”
For the Aggies, the ability is there.
They have proven they can take down top-ranked teams, as seen against No. 11 Auburn.
Utilizing this skill set and setting the pace of play will be essential for the Aggies in the final moments of SEC play.
Going forward, A&M’s focus is on being one step ahead of the competition, following through, getting close to goal to secure tap-ins and being confident in their decisions.
“Go out and try your hardest,” Guerrieri said. “Do the darndest that you possibly can and we accept you the way that you are. We accept that you're going to go out. We accept that you're going to have some bruises and bumps and just put the best possible effort that you possibly can into it.”