Texas A&M
Loyola Chicago
Hooper's Golden Goal Lifts A&M Past Loyola
Oct 11, 2009 | Soccer
Oct. 11, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M junior Whitney Hooper provided the heroics by scoring the game-winning goal 3:12 into overtime to give the 14th-ranked Aggie soccer team a 2-1 victory over Loyola University Chicago in a nationally-televised match Sunday at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
After a throw in on the left side by freshman Lyndsey Gnatzig, Hooper was surrounded by defenders, but turned just outside the box, found space, and struck a low shot inside the near post and past a diving Loyola goalkeeper. The goal marks Hooper's fourth game-winner and Gnatzig's first career assist.
"I told Whitney at the end of the game that I was so mad at her because she could do that all the time," said A&M head coach G Guerrieri. "It was a great individual effort to really beat three players and then smoke one past the goalkeeper on the near post; that's a big-time effort."
With the win, the Aggies improve their unbeaten streak to four games and improve to 9-4-1, while the Ramblers drop their second straight match in the state of Texas and fall to 3-11-2.
"It's great to keep the winning streak alive and it's always great to play at home because on most days around the country, this game would have been unplayable because of all the rain. This field really held up well and allowed for an attractive game to be played. Loyola was very organized and very hard for us to break down. From a first half of us not being dangerous at all, our players did a good job of coming out in the second half and going after them."
In front of 2,209 fans on a cool, rainy afternoon, the Ramblers got on the scoreboard first in the 19th minute. A&M was called for a foul in the box which resulted in a penalty kick. Laura Trevillian connected on the strike for her first goal of the season.
The Aggies had several opportunities in the half, with a 9-2 shot advantage that included five shots from junior Rachel Shipley, but were unable to find the equalizer.
After the 15-minute break, A&M was down by a goal and came out with something to prove. Junior Emily Peterson forced Katie Groesch to make two saves in the first eight minutes of the half.
In the 55th minute, the Aggies' pressure continued as Hooper dribbled the ball to the end line. The Houston, Texas, native passed it through a defender's legs and sent a cross to junior Nicole Ketchum whose header bounced off the crossbar. Freshman Nora Skelton then one-timed a shot into the back of the net on the rebound to even the score at 1-1.
Five minutes later a speedy Hooper raced down a ball in A&M's attacking third and found sophomore Katie Hamilton whose shot ping-ponged off Loyola defenders on the line before it was finally cleared.
While the Aggies controlled most of the second half, Kristin Arnold came off her line to make two key diving saves against Ana Michelini in the 71st minute.
A&M nearly notched the game-winner with one minute remaining in the period after Skelton and Peterson fired off shots on a corner kick taken by Shipley.
The Aggies took the only two strikes in the first overtime period, with the game-winner coming from Hooper at 96:48.
A&M outshot Loyola by a 26-6 count, including a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. Texas A&M also took five corner kicks to just one from the Ramblers.
The Aggies play their final two road games of the regular season at Iowa State on Friday and Nebraska on Sunday.
