It’s a big one for the Aggies as they go up against their first ranked opponent this season.
Texas A&M enters (3-2-0, 0-0-0) Thursday night’s matchup against No. 19 Texas Christian University (2-1-1, 0-0-0) well-rested and with momentum.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. CT on Sept. 3 at Ellis Field.
The Aggies are on a two-game winning streak at home and just had their first game-free weekend of the season.
“It's just good to get away,” Bobby Shuttleworth said. “And the players not have to see the coaches and not have to hear our voices and not have to think about training.”
Senior Bella Carapazza said that the Aggies looked really great after the restful weekend, and although TCU has a great thing going, the Ags are ready to take them on.
“Anybody can win on any given day,” the Lipscomb transfer said.
The Horned Frogs have a set playing style in possession, and A&M knows they’ll have their hands full.
The Maroon & White will need to remain organized, communicate and do their jobs, Shuttleworth said.
“We've played some good teams already this year,” the Aggie head said. “Baylor’s a good team. Texas State, obviously a good team, you know. Air Force gave us a lot of trouble, so I think [TCU is] gonna be no different.”
TCU won 2-1 in their previous matchup back in 2025, on its way to a Final Four appearance, where the Horned Frogs lost to Florida State, Shuttleworth’s previous team.
In the all-time series, the Aggies hold a 14-4-0 advantage.
“Everyone here wants to prove we might've not been the best team last year, but this is a new year, new team,” Carapazza said.
Picked sixth nationally in the preseason, TCU has already fallen out of the poll and re-emerged at No. 19 this week.
An established Horned Frog team will provide another test of how much growth and improvement the young Aggies have made thus far.
“Resilient” is the first word that comes to Carapazza’s mind to describe the developing Aggies, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against them.
“Every day, everybody's coming out and working the hardest they can,” Carapazza said. “And it really pushes me every day just to be better, and when you know that 25 other people are giving their 100 percent, you're gonna wanna give it too.”
A&M sloppily defeated Air Force last week, 2-1. A win is a win, but the Aggies still have work to do with defending around the box, passing and staying consistent throughout the last 45 minutes.
Freshman forwards Finley Lacher and Ireland Churchill stepped up last game against Air Force and were the goal scorers. It was Lacher’s second career goal and Churchill’s fourth.
After beginning the season on the road, home games with the 12th Man can give A&M an additional energy boost. Shuttleworth believes Ellis Field has the best game environment in the country.
“It’s a young team,” the first-year head coach said. “So starting three in a row on the road was tough, but I think we'll be better later in the season for that… It's always good to be home and get to sleep in your own bed and do the things that you wanna do at your own place.”
