Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Soccer Plays Texas Tech to Draw
Oct 25, 2009 | Soccer
Oct. 25, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Sunday's Big 12 match at the Aggie Soccer Stadium proved to be a battle as No. 20 Texas A&M and Texas Tech played to scoreless draw on a warm, windy afternoon.
In front of 2,866 fans, the Aggies (11-5-2, 5-2-2 Big 12) posted its eight shutout and created numerous scoring opportunities after outshooting the Red Raiders (8-7-3, 3-3-3 Big 12) 35-14, including 10 shots on goal to just five from Tech. A&M also held the advantage in corner kicks and earned a season-high 16 to Texas Tech's five.
"You have to give Tech a lot of credit for the grit and the determination they had to come in and get a tie," said head coach G Guerrieri. "It just seemed inevitable that we were going to find a way to break that seal on the goal and it just never really happened. I'm happy for the way we created chances, but I'm not pleased with the precision of our finishing. Bottom line is we didn't give up any goals this weekend. We're still playing well defensively and we'll have to find a way to will more goals in when we play the Longhorns on Friday."
A&M's first shot on goal came in the 12th minute as junior Whitney Hooper controlled the ball on the right side and kicked it back out to sophomore Rachael Balaguer. The Austin, Texas, native served a ball into Hamilton, who took a left-footed shot that skipped towards the near post, but Tech goalkeeper Colleen Pitts made a diving save.
Shots were even early through the first half, but in the 21st minute freshman Lyndsey Gnatzig dribbled down the left flank and found freshman Nora Skelton. Skelton sent a cross in to Hamilton who put a strike on frame from seven yards that Pitts fended off. Hooper followed with a rebound shot wide of the goal.
In another near miss in the 33rd minute, the Aggies controlled the ball in their attacking third. Junior Rachel Shipley dribbled the ball into the penalty box on the right side and took a hard shot that bounced off the crossbar and to the feet of Skelton; her rebound shot sailed high of the goal.
Five minutes into the second period, Texas Tech's Haley Fowler received a yellow card for a hard take down against Hooper. A passionate A&M side came on strong producing five shots and four corners in the following seven minutes.
The Aggie pressure continued and A&M played nearly the entire second half in its attacking third. Hamilton was on the attack and forced Pitts out of goal in the 65th minute. Hamilton fought to serve the ball in to Shipley whose shot into an open goal was saved on the line by a Tech defender.
Junior Alyssa Mautz appeared to be in business five minutes later, but a laser from 25 yards was punched over the crossbar by Pitts to keep the match scoreless.
A&M held the Red Raiders to three shots and only one on frame in the second half, and despite 15 shots the Aggies were unable to find the back of the net, forcing overtime.
Each team had two chances in the first overtime period and perhaps Tech's most dangerous opportunity came in the second overtime. A shot on target from Taylor Lytle was knocked down to the ground by junior goalkeeper Kelly Dyer. Dyer just managed to gather the ball back into her arms on the bounce before an on-running Connor Williams could put a foot on it.
The Aggies outshot the Red Raiders 5-2 in the last 10 minutes.
Shipley took a career-high nine shots, while Hamilton fired off seven strikes, including four on frame. Dyer and junior Kristin Arnold made five saves and combined for the team's eighth shutout.
The Aggies remain in second place in the Big 12 and play their final match of the regular season on Friday night against Texas. Seniors Cydne Currie and Emily Peterson will be honored before the 7 p.m. match.
