COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies released a challenging schedule for the 2017 campaign. The Maroon and White's 18-game regular-season schedule features 10 games at Ellis Field.
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"Our 2017 team is loaded with dynamic, talented, and highly motivated players," Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. "Anyone who witnessed our recent spring exhibition games knows how exciting a level of soccer this team plays at and how special 2017 can be for Texas A&M. This schedule presents an exciting challenge for the squad and gives them an opportunity to showcase themselves against some strong opponents."
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The Aggies' SEC slate features five home and five road games.
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"This year, our SEC schedule is slightly different than in the past," Guerrieri said. "It takes on an SEC baseball and football model, where we play everyone in the Western Division plus four teams from the Eastern Division. The SEC also changed the schedule to split weekends. Whenever we have a Thursday and Sunday match, one game is always home and one is away. It ensures we miss less school and we have a home match almost every week of the season. It's a big bonus for our great Aggie soccer fans."
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Texas A&M begins league play on Friday, September 15 at Auburn. The following Thursday (9/21) the Maroon and White host Florida at Ellis Field.
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The Aggies four other league home games include Arkansas (9/29), Alabama (10/5), Ole Miss (10/13) and Vanderbilt (10/22). Texas A&M travels to Missouri (9/24), Georgia (10/8), LSU (10/19) and Mississippi State (10/26).
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"This will be a very challenging SEC schedule," Guerrieri said, "but I love that we get to host our games against Alabama, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Florida. Those are all tough matches, so playing in front of the 12th Man at Ellis Field is very exciting."
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The non-conference regular-season slate features eight teams that combined to post a .556 winning percentage (79-61-21) in 2016, including three teams that played in the NCAA Championship. Six of the eight opponents finished in the top 80 in RPI, including two teams in the top 50 – Kansas (25) and Pepperdine (41).
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The Aggies officially commence the 2017 campaign with a road trip to San Diego to face a pair of West Coast Conference teams. The Maroon and White play a neutral site match against WCC champion Pepperdine Waves on Friday, August 18 to start the season and two days later the Aggies face the San Diego Toreros.
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Texas A&M opens the home schedule on Saturday, August 28 when they host the Oregon Ducks.
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The following weekend, the Maroon and White host former Big 12 foe Oklahoma State Cowgirls on September 1 and Big East power DePaul Blue Demons on September 3.
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The Aggies have a split weekend the next week with a home contest against the Butler Bulldogs on September 8 and a road match at the former Big 12 rival Kansas Jayhawks on September 10.
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Texas A&M closes out the non-conference schedule on October 2 with a home match against the Utah Valley Wolverines.
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"Our non-conference schedule features a lot of teams who have traditionally competed and won or are favored to win their own conference championships. Oklahoma State, DePaul, Butler, Pepperdine, San Diego, Kansas and Oregon are all NCAA Tournament caliber teams. And, our home opener vs Oregon on the last Saturday in August, should be a great kickoff to our tough home schedule."
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Texas A&M wrapped up the 2016 season with a 12-8-2 mark. The Maroon and White earned a bid to their 22nd consecutive NCAA Championship and advanced to the second round of the tournament for the 19th straight season.
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The Aggies return 16 letterwinners from the 2016 campaign, including nine of 12 starters (players who started 50 percent or more matches). The returnees account for 24 of the Aggies' 27 goals from last season and the Maroon and White add the potent Ally Watt who redshirted last season while playing for the United States U20 Women's National Team. Texas A&M welcomes back All-American Mikaela Harvey, along with fellow All-SEC performer Haley Pounds and former SEC All-Freshman honorees Emily Bates, Grace Piper and Watt.
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"We have a very exciting group of players in Aggieland for the 2017 season," Guerrieri said. "Anyone who had an opportunity to see the team play this recent spring witnessed how much better the Aggies looked, and how well the six new players that joined the team in January fit in. Now we get Ally (Watt) back from USA U20 National Team duty and add two more players with USA and Mexican youth national team experience, and it makes my smile that much bigger."
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The SEC Tournament returns to Orange Beach, Alabama with action kicking off on Monday, October 30 and the championship game slated for Sunday, November 5.
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The Aggies' first action of the season will come on Sunday, August 6 when the Maroon and White host the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a 7 pm exhibition match at Ellis Field. On August 10, the Aggies play another exhibition match with a 7 pm fixture against the Northwestern State Lady Devils.
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TEXAS A&M AGGIES
2017 SCHEDULE
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Schedule Link
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"Our 2017 team is loaded with dynamic, talented, and highly motivated players," Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. "Anyone who witnessed our recent spring exhibition games knows how exciting a level of soccer this team plays at and how special 2017 can be for Texas A&M. This schedule presents an exciting challenge for the squad and gives them an opportunity to showcase themselves against some strong opponents."
Â
The Aggies' SEC slate features five home and five road games.
Â
"This year, our SEC schedule is slightly different than in the past," Guerrieri said. "It takes on an SEC baseball and football model, where we play everyone in the Western Division plus four teams from the Eastern Division. The SEC also changed the schedule to split weekends. Whenever we have a Thursday and Sunday match, one game is always home and one is away. It ensures we miss less school and we have a home match almost every week of the season. It's a big bonus for our great Aggie soccer fans."
Â
Texas A&M begins league play on Friday, September 15 at Auburn. The following Thursday (9/21) the Maroon and White host Florida at Ellis Field.
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The Aggies four other league home games include Arkansas (9/29), Alabama (10/5), Ole Miss (10/13) and Vanderbilt (10/22). Texas A&M travels to Missouri (9/24), Georgia (10/8), LSU (10/19) and Mississippi State (10/26).
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"This will be a very challenging SEC schedule," Guerrieri said, "but I love that we get to host our games against Alabama, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Florida. Those are all tough matches, so playing in front of the 12th Man at Ellis Field is very exciting."
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The non-conference regular-season slate features eight teams that combined to post a .556 winning percentage (79-61-21) in 2016, including three teams that played in the NCAA Championship. Six of the eight opponents finished in the top 80 in RPI, including two teams in the top 50 – Kansas (25) and Pepperdine (41).
Â
The Aggies officially commence the 2017 campaign with a road trip to San Diego to face a pair of West Coast Conference teams. The Maroon and White play a neutral site match against WCC champion Pepperdine Waves on Friday, August 18 to start the season and two days later the Aggies face the San Diego Toreros.
Â
Texas A&M opens the home schedule on Saturday, August 28 when they host the Oregon Ducks.
Â
The following weekend, the Maroon and White host former Big 12 foe Oklahoma State Cowgirls on September 1 and Big East power DePaul Blue Demons on September 3.
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The Aggies have a split weekend the next week with a home contest against the Butler Bulldogs on September 8 and a road match at the former Big 12 rival Kansas Jayhawks on September 10.
Â
Texas A&M closes out the non-conference schedule on October 2 with a home match against the Utah Valley Wolverines.
Â
"Our non-conference schedule features a lot of teams who have traditionally competed and won or are favored to win their own conference championships. Oklahoma State, DePaul, Butler, Pepperdine, San Diego, Kansas and Oregon are all NCAA Tournament caliber teams. And, our home opener vs Oregon on the last Saturday in August, should be a great kickoff to our tough home schedule."
Â
Texas A&M wrapped up the 2016 season with a 12-8-2 mark. The Maroon and White earned a bid to their 22nd consecutive NCAA Championship and advanced to the second round of the tournament for the 19th straight season.
Â
The Aggies return 16 letterwinners from the 2016 campaign, including nine of 12 starters (players who started 50 percent or more matches). The returnees account for 24 of the Aggies' 27 goals from last season and the Maroon and White add the potent Ally Watt who redshirted last season while playing for the United States U20 Women's National Team. Texas A&M welcomes back All-American Mikaela Harvey, along with fellow All-SEC performer Haley Pounds and former SEC All-Freshman honorees Emily Bates, Grace Piper and Watt.
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"We have a very exciting group of players in Aggieland for the 2017 season," Guerrieri said. "Anyone who had an opportunity to see the team play this recent spring witnessed how much better the Aggies looked, and how well the six new players that joined the team in January fit in. Now we get Ally (Watt) back from USA U20 National Team duty and add two more players with USA and Mexican youth national team experience, and it makes my smile that much bigger."
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The SEC Tournament returns to Orange Beach, Alabama with action kicking off on Monday, October 30 and the championship game slated for Sunday, November 5.
Â
The Aggies' first action of the season will come on Sunday, August 6 when the Maroon and White host the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a 7 pm exhibition match at Ellis Field. On August 10, the Aggies play another exhibition match with a 7 pm fixture against the Northwestern State Lady Devils.
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TEXAS A&M AGGIES
2017 SCHEDULE
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| Sun. | 8/6 | SAM HOUSTON STATE [Exhibition] | 7 pm |
| Thu. | 8/10 | NORTHWESTERN STATE [Exhibition] | 7 pm |
| Fri. | 8/18 | vs. Pepperdine (at San Diego, California) |
6:30 pm |
| Sun. | 8/20 | at San Diego | 3:30 pm |
| Sat. | 8/26 | OREGON | 8 pm |
| Fri. | 9/1 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 7 pm |
| Sun. | 9/3 | DEPAUL | 1:30 pm |
| Fri. | 9/8 | BUTLER | 7 pm |
| Sun. | 9/10 | at Kansas | 1 pm |
| Fri. | 9/15 | at Auburn* | 6:30 pm |
| Thu. | 9/21 | FLORIDA* | 6 pm |
| Sun. | 9/24 | at Missouri* | 6 pm |
| Fri. | 9/29 | ARKANSAS* | 7 pm |
| Mon. | 10/2 | UTAH VALLEY | 7 pm |
| Thu. | 10/5 | ALABAMA* | 6 pm |
| Sun. | 10/8 | at Georgia* | 4 pm |
| Fri. | 10/13 | OLE MISS* | 7 pm |
| Thu. | 10/19 | at LSU* | 6 pm |
| Sun. | 10/22 | VANDERBILT* | 6 pm |
| Thu. | 10/26 | at Mississippi State* | 7 pm |
| Mon-Sun | 10/30-11/5 | at SEC Tournament (Orange Beach, Alabama) |
tbd |
| Fri | 11/10-12 | NCAA Championship First Round (campus sites) |
tbd |
| Fri | 11/17 | NCAA Championship Second Round (campus sites) |
tbd |
| Sun | 11/19 | NCAA Championship Third Round (campus sites) |
tbd |
| Fri | 11/24-26 | NCAA Championship Quarterfinal (campus sites) |
tbd |
| Fri | 12/1 | NCAA Championship College Cup Semifinal (Orlando, Florida) |
tbd |
| Sun | 12/3 | NCAA Championship College Cup Final (Orlando, Florida) |
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Schedule Link