Texas A&M
17-2-2
South Carolina
13-5-3
Brinson?s 87th-minute Header Puts A&M in Title Match
Nov 07, 2014 | Soccer
ORANGE BEACH, Alabama – On an afternoon where offensive opportunities were at a premium, Bianca Brinson made the most of a golden opportunity late in the match to lead the Texas A&M Aggies to a 1-0 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in a SEC Tournament semifinal match at Orange Beach, Alabama on Friday.
With just under 3:30 to play in regulation, Kelley Monogue sent a corner kick in from the left arc. Her offering sailed over the head of South Carolina netminder Sabrina D'Angelo to the far post. A lightly marked Brinson headed it home for the goal with 3:20 left in the second half.
The Maroon and White were able to salt away the clock, allowing just one shot in the final 3:20, an offering by Stevi Parker that sailed a few yards left of goal.
The Aggies' winning goal came just a minute after Shea Groom had a shot go inches wide off a free kick set piece. Monogue sent a kick in from 25 yards out, finding the head of Meghan Streight near the six-yard box. Streight's header veered to the right at the foot of Groom who uncorked a shot that just missed tucking inside the right post for the game-winner.
Texas A&M had to shift players around the pitch early in the first half with Annie Kunz and Janae Cousineau both having to come off with injuries in the 25th minute. The injuries to two of A&M's taller players neutralized the Aggies' 6-2 advantage in corner kicks for the remainder of the match.
For the contest, South Carolina owned a 10-8 advantage in shots, including 4-2 in shots-on-goal. The Gamecocks put large numbers into the box on the defensive end and were able to get a few solid counter-attack opportunities.
The Aggies return to the SEC Tournament championship match for the second consecutive season. A&M improved to 6-1 in SEC Tournament action. On Sunday, the Maroon and White will look to become the first team since Florida in 2001 to repeat the championship double with regular-season and tournament crowns in the same season.
Shots were hard to come by in the first half. South Carolina held a 5-3 edge in shots as the two squads managed just two shots on goal in the opening act. A&M was unable to capitalize on a 4-1 edge in corner kick opportunities in the first half.
Jordan Day recorded her 31st career shutout, making four saves in the contest. It marked her fourth shutout in SEC Tournament play.
The Aggies advance to SEC Tournament championship match Sunday at Orange Beach Sportsplex. A&M will play either Kentucky or Tennessee in a 2 pm match.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach G Guerrieri
On the game-winning goal…
That was a great service by Kelley Monogue. Normally we have more height on corner kicks, but with Annie (Kunz) and Janae (Cousineau) out we needed to have someone else step up. That was a brilliant finish by BB (Bianca Brinson). It was a great set piece by some seniors that want to win another championship.
On getting back to the championship game…
If I haven't said how much I love being in the SEC, let me say it one more time. For all of Texas A&M, this has been a wonderful ride. To be able to play for another championship at a wonderful setting like Orange Beach is a pretty good deal. Whether it's Kentucky or Tennessee, we know we will have a battle. Both teams are playing really well right now and are hungry for a title.
Senior forward Bianca Brinson
On today's match…
Time was dwindling down. A lot of our goals are scored on set pieces. Normally Janae (Cousineau) and Annie (Kunz) are near the goal taking up defenders, but with them out there was a bit more space. As I saw the ball coming closer, I thought 'I need to put this in.' I didn't want to go to overtime or penalty kicks. Penalty kicks are like a coin toss and you don't want to lose on a coin toss.
South Carolina Head Coach Shelley Smith
On her team's 1‐0 loss to top‐seeded Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament Semifinals …
“I'm proud of the girls. Obviously, we're disappointed in the result. We wanted to make the finals and put ourselves in a position to win a championship. The heart you saw with this team and the fight, and we played a tremendous team in Texas A&M. They showed how strong they are. I thought we battled. We didn't have the best first half, but we came back and really did well the second half to put ourselves in a position to win the game. We just didn't find the net on a couple of opportunities but, overall, I thought we played very well. We'll build off of this going into NCAAs next week.”
On preparations for the upcoming NCAA Tournament …
“We have to put a full effort out there for 90 minutes. We can't come out like we did today – a little bit flat. We also can't allow certain things on set pieces and we need to manage games. We didn't manage the game very well against Missouri. I thought we did a better job tonight. It's always a learning situation. A&M just showed that it took a special moment to win the game. We had some special plays to keep us in the game and close to scoring, and it didn't happen for us. [South Carolina goalkeeper] Sabrina [D'Angelo] showed what kind of saves she can make to keep us in a game. [Texas A&M's Bianca] Brinson is a tremendous player. They have several good, strong individuals. Someone had to step and finish this game off – be it us or them – and give credit to A&M for finishing the game.”
Team Stats
Brinson, Bianca (8)
Assisted By: Monogue, Kelley
Headed in off corner kick
86:40
