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Kansas
A&M Soccer Improves to 2-0 in Big 12 Play With Impressive Win Over Kansas
Sep 25, 2005 | Soccer
September 25, 2005
The No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies improved their season record to 7-1-1, 2-0 in Big 12 play as they beat last year's Co-Big 12 Champion, Kansas Jayhawks 3-2 in a highly intense match on Sunday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex in Lawrence.
"I think this was the game of the week. Anytime we can play teams that are going to challenge us is a good thing," commented A&M head coach G Guerrieri. "In the Big 12 you can't take five minutes off. It was important that we came out and did well in the second half. Our next conference game is against Texas, it doesn't get any easier for us, so we take each challenge as they come."
Near the middle of the first half, Laura Grace Robinson sent a pass back across the field to Ashlee Pistorius who set up Melissa Garey for a clean header past Jayhawk goalkeeper Colleen Quinn in the 21st minute of play to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead. The goal was Garey's seventh of the season.
The Jayhawks battled back and tied the game in the 36th minute of play when Michelle Rasmussen netted her first goal of the season from a ball that was deflected off an Aggie defender.
At the end of the first half, the score remained tied one all and for the first time all season the Aggies were outshot 8-7. However, A&M did take five corners to KU's one.
The second half picked up where the first half ended in the trading of possession back and forth between the two teams.
Garey's persistence with 31:50 on the clock gave the Aggies a 2-1 lead as she fought for the rebound from her own shot and with a soft touch placed the ball into the back of the net scoring her eighth goal of the season.
Pistorius nearly made the score 3-1 as she fired a hard shot from the close right wing after rebounding a header, fortunately for the Jayhawks, the shot ricocheted off the right post before being cleared by a KU defender.
After holding the lead for over 10 minutes, Kansas' Caroline Smith beat the Aggie defense and sent a shot past A&M's goalkeeper Kati Jo Spisak, evening the score 2-2.
With 12:07 left in regulation KU's Smith threatened to score again as she took A&M's Jordan Falcusan one on one. Smith fired a hard shot from the left wing, but Spisak displayed her amazing defensive skills, getting a hand on the ball for the save.
In a dramatic fashion with 2:22 left on the clock, A&M was awarded a free kick off a Jayhawk hand ball. Linda Pierson served a beautiful cross to the middle of the box, finding Garey for the game-winner and her team leading ninth goal of the season.
Garey was named State Farm Player of the Game scoring all three of the Aggie's goals.
"Melissa Garey is deadly in front of the goal," said Guerrieri. "She's created a lot of chances for herself this year and Linda Pierson has been brilliant for us in the backfield."
The Aggies return home for action on Friday when they take on the Boise State Broncos at the Aggie Soccer Stadium. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m., and is the first meeting between the two teams. You can access live coverage and game stats by logging on to AggieAthletics.com.
