Soccer's Run Ends in National Semifinals, 3-1

Friday, December 5

Boca Raton, Fla.

4:00 PM

Texas A&M

22-3-2

Virginia

23-2

Virginia

Texas A&M

Dec 05, 2014 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

BOCA RATON, Florida – The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies' historic 2014 campaign came to a close with a 3-1 loss to the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers in a College Cup semifinal contest at FAU Stadium on Friday evening.

On the season, A&M reached the College Cup for the first time in program history and finished with a season-best 22 victories in their 22-3-2 ledger. The Maroon and White also became the first SEC team since 2001 to advance to the College Cup and the first team since Florida in 2001 to win the SEC Double (regular-season and tournament titles) in back-to-back seasons.

The match was tightly contested throughout with Virginia's last goal coming with 3:27 left in the contest as A&M was unable to make a clear when trying to foil the Cavaliers' clock milking. Alex Shaffer was able to beat Jordan Day to the right corner for the two-goal edge.

For the match, Virginia owned slight edges in shots (14-11) and shots-on-goal (8-6). The biggest difference of the match may have been the corner kick opportunities, where the Cavaliers led, 12-6, and converted one chance into the game-winning goal.

The Cavaliers drew first blood in the 13th minute with a piece of brilliance. Morgan Brian sent a pass in from the left of the penalty box to find the head of Makenzy Doniak charging into the six-yard box down the right and she put it home for her 20th goal of the season.

Texas A&M notched the equalizer in the 32nd minute. Meghan Streight sent in a free kick from 40 yards out. The offering found the head of a Virginia defender and settled at the feet of Kelley Monogue who was standing on the left side of the penalty box arc and she sent the ball into the back of the net to the right of the keeper to tie the match at 1-1 with 13:01 left in the first half.

Virginia took advantage of a corner kick opportunity in the waning moments of the first half to reclaim the lead heading into the intermission. Tina Iordanou sent the ball in from the left arc, finding the head of Danielle Colaprico on the right side of the six-yard box. Colaprico sent the ball across the face of the goal where Emily Sonnett was waiting on the left side for her fifth goal of the season.

A&M missed a pair of opportunities to tie the match in the second half. Annie Kunz had a goal attempted snuffed out with 20 minutes remaining. Kunz beat a defender into the box and was left with a chance to shoot from eight yards out, but the slick pitch prevented her from getting full force behind the shot and Virginia's keeper Morgan Stearns pounced on it for the save. Seven minutes later, Monogue launched a missile from 15 yards out that glanced off a Cavaliers' defender. The deflection caused Stearns to have to make a diving effort to keep prevent the equalizer.

Both keepers ended the match with five saves on the day.

The A&M seniors end their career with a school-record 75 wins. Streight started all 101 matches in her career and Allie Bailey played in all 101 matches.