Texas A&M
Missouri
No. 7 Aggie Soccer Tops Mizzou, 4-2
Oct 17, 2010 | Soccer
Oct. 17, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Texas A&M junior Merritt Mathias netted a pair of goals including her second game-winner of the weekend as the No. 7 Texas A&M soccer team came from behind twice to defeat the Missouri Tigers 4-2 in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU Sunday.
The Aggies (13-3, 6-1 Big 12) were down a goal early, but senior Rachel Shipley put A&M on the scoreboard and after Mizzou (5-8-2, 3-4 Big 12) took the lead again, sophomore Nora Skelton answered four minutes later with her first score of the season. Mathias (Birmingham, Ala.) pushed the Aggies ahead from a 2-2 tie with the game-winner in the 70th minute and added an insurance goal nine minutes later.
"Mizzou put us under a lot of pressure in the first 10 minutes of both halves, but I was pleased with the way our team played out of it," said head coach G Guerrieri. "They picked up their intensity and they went out there and played soccer to break the pursuit that Mizzou was putting on the ball. I was really pleased for us to come from behind twice against a team that's as talented and as athletic as Mizzou. They're a hard team for us to beat and to be able to come here and win 4-2 is a nice end to the weekend."
The Tigers jumped ahead quickly on their home pitch with a goal from Alysha Bonnick just 1:48 into the match. Bonnick served a cross in from the right side of the penalty area, but the ball went through two players in front of the goal, off the hand of senior goalkeeper Kelly Dyer, and inside the far post to get Missouri out 1-0.
The Aggies controlled much of the possession thereafter and following a pair of near misses, tied the game in the 38th minute. A&M kept the ball moving in its attacking third as Mathias found Mautz, who quickly tapped the ball along to Shipley for a left-footed shot that went past a diving keeper and into the right-side netting.
Four minutes into the second half and on a Missouri corner kick, Bonnick gathered the ball and with her back to the goal, sent a pass off the back of her heel in to Krista Kruse who put the Tigers up 2-1.
After that goal it was all Texas A&M.
Skelton started the second period and made an impact by pushing the ball up to senior Amber Gnatzig. The pass forced the keeper off her line and to make a diving save on Gnatzig's attempt. A rebound shot from Mautz then hit the near post, but less than a minute later and just four minutes after Mizzou's score, Skelton tied the game with her first goal of the season.
Sophomore Lyndsey Gnatzig fought for the ball on the left side and got it to Mautz, who sent it up further in the attacking third to Skelton. The Belton, Texas, native beat the keeper and coolly put a left-footed shot into the far-side netting.
"I couldn't be more pleased for Nora," said Guerrieri. "She's been playing better and better and sometimes for a forward the only way for her to show that is for her to register a goal. It's been coming and it was a well-taken score by her to get us going."
The Aggies continued to hold the ball and built up for two last shots that ended in the eighth and ninth goals of the season for Mathias.
In the 70th minute, redshirt sophomore Raven Tatum found redshirt sophomore Beth West on the left side of the penalty area. West beat two defenders and threaded a pass from the end line to Mathias in front of the goal. Mathias one-timed a shot into the far-side netting to give the Aggies' their first lead of the match.
Nine minutes later, Mautz dribbled the ball from near midfield and passed it to Mathias on the right side of the box. Mathias found the upper 90 from 11 yards.
The Aggie forward had a game-high six shots, with two goals and one assist. Mautz added five shots and a career-high three assists.
Texas A&M returns home to the Aggie Soccer Stadium to take on Oklahoma Friday, Oct. 22 for Senior Day and follows with No. 5 Oklahoma State on Sunday, Oct. 24.
