April 05, 2008
The defending Big 12 champion Texas A&M soccer team concluded its spring exhibition season, battling the Oklahoma State Cowgirls to a 2-2 draw Saturday afternoon at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
?This was a beautiful afternoon for soccer,? A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. ?I am pleased with the progress our ladies have made during the spring season. We have done a nice job with our ability to keep possession of the ball. We created 29 good scoring chances but missed the target 21 times, so we've got to do a better job of finishing these opportunities to break a game open."
The Aggies controlled the tempo of the match and maintained possession of the ball throughout the first half, keeping play in their attacking third and limiting the Cowgirls to minimal scoring opportunities.
A&M?â„¢s consistent pressure would pay off in the game?â„¢s 25th minute. Freshman midfielder Rachel Shipley collected a loose ball in the penalty area after several misclears by the OSU defense. Shipley fired a shot from roughly nine yards out passed OSU goalkeeper Erin Stigler, putting the Aggies up 1-0 and snapping the Cowgirls seven-game shutout streak.
The Aggies showed great intensity and a sound defensive effort through a very physical first half and as play ended, the Aggies headed into locker room with a one-goal lead and 13-5 shot advantage.
A&M came out strong in the second half and with just nine minutes elapsed in the period, freshman transfer Alyssa Mautz would find sophomore Cydne Currie open for her sixth goal of the spring season. Mautz escaped defensive pressure down the left flank and slid a pass into Currie who was standing just outside the left corner of the six-yard box. Currie moved left, splitting two defenders, and drove the ball past a diving Stigler, who was unable to get enough hand on the ball to clear it.
With the Aggies leading 2-0 in the 57th minute, Oklahoma State replaced Stigler with freshman Kaitlyn Gustaves in goal.
The Cowgirls mounted their comeback in the game?â„¢s 64th minute off a set-piece. Freshman Annika Niemeier sent a corner kick into the penalty area where sophomore Siera Strawser got a head on the ball and flicked it into the top shelf to bring the score to 2-1 in favor of A&M.
Oklahoma State looked to tie the game with just under five minutes remaining in the second half. Sophomore Kasey Langdon took Aggie keeper Kristin Arnold one-on-one and laced a shot from 18 yards out straight into the chest of Arnold who had come out to cut down the angle.
However, All-American Yolanda Odenyo would find the back of the net just seconds later after winning a 50/50 ball in the six-yard box. The junior midfielder fired a hard shot into lower right-side netting for the equalizer.
A&M outshot OSU 29-14 on the afternoon with corners deadlocked at five apiece.
The Aggie attack forced Stigler to make four saves on the day, while Gustaves was credited with two.
Freshman Kelly Dyer and Arnold each played a half in goal for the Aggies with both players recording three saves.
A&M will kickoff the fall season with its annual Maroon & White game scheduled for Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aggie Soccer Stadium. The Aggies will open regular season play against Rhode Island at home on Aug. 22.