Texas A&M
Baylor
Aggies Advance to Semifinals with 2-0 Win Over Baylor
Nov 04, 2009 | Soccer
Nov. 4, 2009
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Junior Rachel Shipley led the second-seeded and No. 20-ranked Texas A&M soccer team with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory over seventh-seeded Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship at the Blossom Soccer Stadium on Wednesday night.
From Plano, Texas, Shipley found the back of the net for the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 44th minute and sophomore Bri Young put the Aggies up 2-0 on a header off of a Shipley corner kick in the 59th minute.
A&M (13-5-2) shutout its fourth straight opponent and extended its unbeaten streak to four matches. Marking its 10th shutout this season, the Aggies have allowed just three goals in the last eight games.
The Aggies will face No. 6 seed Texas in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday night at 8 p.m. The Longhorns upended No. 3 seed Colorado, 1-0, in double overtime earlier today.
"We're excited to get another win behind us and that we had a complete performance," said head coach G Guerrieri. "We knew that Baylor was going to come in and give us a battle, be physical and determined, and they did that. Their goalkeeper did a good job of keeping the score close and it took some extra stuff from us to get it done.
"To be a part of the late game on a Friday night is neat because it should be a good crowd and a fun environment. To have to turn around and play Texas twice in a week is tough, but I'm really proud of our girls. They've really earned the right to play in that type of setting again and we're looking forward to it."
The Aggies controlled the ball in their attacking third for the first 25 minutes, posting seven shots and three corner kicks before Baylor earned their first corner.
Early shots by freshmen Mary Grace Schmidt went high of the goal before Shipley struck a low shot towards the near post that was gloved over the end line by a diving Baylor goalkeeper forcing back-to-back corner kicks for the Aggies.
The A&M pressure continued after the Bears' corner and in the 25th minute, junior Alyssa Mautz got off a sliding cross in the box that BU keeper Gianna Quintanna punched out and to the feet of Shipley. Her shot with Quintanna out of position missed high.
Baylor managed two shots before freshman Kim Castleberry dribbled towards the goal and was taken down hard in the box. Shipley slotted home the subsequent penalty kick for her seventh score of the year.
Baylor came out on the attack at the start of the second period putting its first shot on frame a minute into the half. Dyer easily scooped up the strike.
On an A&M counter in the 52nd minute, Mautz found junior Whitney Hooper on the right side and she sent a cross in front of the goal and inside the six-yard box. Skelton got a foot on the ball and her shot was blocked by a Baylor defender in front of the goal, bounced around in the mixer, and was eventually cleared.
Mautz put a shot on goal two minutes later that nearly slipped through the legs of Quintanna at the post.
The Aggie pressure was constant and in the 57th minute Shipley blasted a shot from beyond the box that was deflected and led to three consecutive corner kicks. On the third try, Young headed the ball into the back of the net from nine yards to give A&M a 2-0 lead.
A&M nearly went up 3-0 in the 65th minute. Mautz took a strong shot from 13 yards and Quintanna did all she could to get a hand on the strike at the far post and knock it out of bounds. Young took a couple dangerous free kicks in the final minutes, but the 2-0 score would stand.
The Aggies held the Bears to six shots, while firing off 17. A&M held a commanding advantage in corner kicks, 13-2. The Aggies also put seven shots on goal, compared to just three from Baylor. A&M did not allow a shot on goal in the first half.
Goalkeepers Kristin Arnold and Kelly Dyer combined for the shutout and Dyer made three saves. Shipley took a game-high seven shots, putting three on frame, and Mautz recorded four shots, with two on target.
