Piper's Golden Goal Propels Aggies to Sixth Straight Win

ATHENS, Georgia – Grace Piper sent a screamer off the mitts of a diving Georgia keeper from 20 yards out in the 109^th minute to give the No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies a 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs on a waterlogged Sunday afternoon at Turner Soccer Complex.
 
Piper's golden goal gave the Aggies their sixth consecutive victory as the Maroon & White improved to 10-2-1 overall and 5-1-0 in the SEC. With the triumph, Texas A&M leap-frogged Vanderbilt for second place in the league standings with 15 points.
 
The game-winner came with 1:40 remaining in the second overtime period. With the match seemingly headed to a draw, Mikaela Harvey gathered the ball at the right corner of the penalty box and dribbled towards the inside right channel. She sent a perfect ball across the penalty arc where a hard-charging Piper sent in a first-touch rocket with her left foot. The pace of Piper's missile sent the ball into the goal off the gloves of a diving Louise Hogrell.
 
The match went to overtime in part because of the heroics of Kendall Ritchie. With 12 minutes remaining in the second half Ritchie was on the right post for a corner kick and she didn't stray from her duty deflecting Katie Higgins' shot from 15 yards out to keep the match knotted a 1-1.
 
Texas A&M broke the scoring seal in the 35^th minute with Ally Watt scoring her sixth goal of the season. A Georgia defender sent an ill-advised ball across the penalty box and Watt found the business end of it near the PK spot. She settled the ball at her feet before ripping a shot from 12 yards, putting it between the keeper and the left post for the 1-0 lead.
 
Georgia knotted the match in the 42^nd minute. Katie Higgins unleashed a shot from 30 yards, sending a ricochet off an A&M defender inside the right post for the equalizer.
 
The Aggies were relentless on the offensive side, owning the advantages in shots (31-16) and shots-on-goal (16-7), but Hogrell came up big with 14 saves for Georgia on the afternoon. Texas A&M turned up the intensity in the second half and overtime, outshooting the Bulldogs 24-7, including a 9-3 edge in shots-on-goal.
 
The first 30 minutes were played in a quagmire as a band from Tropical Depression Nate swept through Athens. Play was halted with 14:31 remaining in the first half as the ball began to get held up in standing puddles on the pitch.
 
Cosette Morché made six saves in goal in front of her hometown contingent.
 
Texas A&M had seven players go the full 110 minutes, including Morche, Ritchie, Stephanie Malherbe, Addie McCain, Callyn Walton, Harvey and Briana Alston.
 
With the win, the Aggies are guaranteed their 25^th consecutive winning season.
 
The Aggies return to action Friday when they host the Ole Miss Rebels in a 7:05 p.m. contest at Ellis Field.