Happy Days Continue at Ellis Field with 3-0 Victory over Marquette

Sunday, September 14

College Station

7:00 PM

Texas A&M

6-1-1

Marquette

2-5-1

Marquette

Texas A&M

Sep 14, 2014 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies extended their home win streak to 14 matches on Sunday evening with a 3-0 win over the Marquette Golden Eagles at Ellis Field.

The Aggies have won every match at Ellis Field since playing Baylor to a 0-0 draw on September 8, 2013. The last time Texas A&M lost a home match was a 3-1 decision against Pepperdine on September 1, 2013. It stands as the fifth-longest home win streak for the Aggies and the fourth-longest stretch at Ellis Field.

After playing to a scoreless draw in the first half, Texas A&M (6-1-1) signaled it was on a mission to convert shots into goals coming out of the intermission. After the initial touch of the second half, Kelley Monogue boomed a shot from the center stripe that rattled the crossbar and nearly broke the scoring seal.

The Aggies finally tipped Marquette's canoe in the 52nd minute. Allie Bailey dribbled at the left corner of the penalty box, slipped a pass to Monogue and blazed a trail into the box. Monogue laced a pass through two defenders back to Bailey and she sent a shot into the right side netting for the 1-0 lead.

Moments later, the Aggies nearly scored another goal with the roles of the give-and-go reversed, but Golden Eagles' netminder Amanda Engel was able to get a talon on Monogue's shot, knocking it past the right post.

Defender Leigh Edwards tacked on a second goal with 27 minutes remaining in the second half. The converted forward collected the ball near the center stripe and was given ample space. She took the opportunity to map out a trail to 25 yards out on the left side and fired an arrow that went a few inches south of the crossbar and into the back netting for the 2-0 advantage.

The Aggies brewed the final goal in the 82nd minute. A&M was awarded a penalty kick after Shea Groom was taken down in the box. Groom converted on the penalty kick for her fifth goal of the season.

Marquette nearly found the Northwest Passage on two occasions in the second half, but both times Aggie goalkeeper Renee McDermott shut the door. The first time Alex Heffron was able to slip the defender and go on a run just outside the six-yard box on the left, but McDermott cut off the shooting angle and forced Johnston to shoot into the outside netting in the 50th minute. In the 83rd minute, Jace Jermier had free kick opportunity from 25 yards out and sent a rocket in, but McDermott snuffed it out with a clean save.

In the opening half, Marquette (2-5-1) was unable to make many expeditions into A&M territory as the Aggie defense allowed just three shots in the stanza. The Maroon and White owned advantages in shots (13-3) and shots-on-goal (6-0).

McDermott picked up her third shutout of the season and the fifth of her career. Engel put forth a heroic effort, making 10 saves, including six in the first half.

For the match, A&M held advantages across the board, including shots (24-10), shots-on-goal (13-1) and corner kicks (4-1).

Texas A&M returns to action on Thursday as the Aggies open up SEC play with a 6 pm Central match against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. The match is slated to be televised on the SEC Network, A&M's first match to be featured on the conference's flagship station.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach G Guerreri
On Kelley Monogue's 50-yard shot attempt and how it kick-started the Aggies in the second half…
"In the first half we looked a little bit flat even though we had the advantage in time of possession. We weren't playing at a very high level. The players were challenged at halftime to start making an impact in the game. I think Kelley's kick made that impact on the first play of the second half with the attempt from midfield. It was a good eye-opener for the rest of the team and I think that they followed suit. Credit to our seniors, they stepped up tonight and scored three goals for us."

On how the Aggies adjusted at halftime to win the game…
"We realized that instead of taking what Marquette was giving to us, we needed to start pressing our own agenda. We wanted our midfielders to step up a little bit more because I felt we were disconnected on the attack. And that's what our girls did."

Senior forward Allie Bailey
On the importance of her goal, the Aggies' first of the match…
"I think that first goal is important for our team. We are able to settle down after we get the first one in. It's important for us to get that first goal in because it allows us to get into a rhythm."