Texas A&M Drops a 2-0 Decision to Butler

Friday, September 8

College Station

7 p.m.

Texas A&M

3-1-1

Butler

5-1-1

Butler

Texas A&M

Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics

Sep 08, 2017 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score - Butler 2, A&M 0 Photo Gallery

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies suffered their first loss of the season, dropping a 2-0 decision to the Butler Bulldogs Friday evening at Ellis Field.

The Aggies (3-1-1) were unable to muster a goal despite getting 16 shots off. The Maroon and White held advantages in shots (16-5), shots-on-goal (5-3) and corner kicks (3-0).

Texas A&M's two best chances to score came in the waning moments of the match. Ally Watt hit the crossbar from 20 yards out in the 78^th minute and Cienna Arrieta put a header in from six yards out on a diagonal ball played by Stephanie Malherbe in the 85^th minute, but Arrieta was deemed to be in an offside position.

Otherwise it was Butler goalkeeper Hannah Luedtke foiling the Aggies with five saves in the match for her first shutout of the season.

Butler (5-1-1) broke the scoring seal in the 33^rd minute. Halle Stelbasky was working on the right side of the penalty box when she delivered a heel pass to Paige Monaghan charging through the inside right channel. Monaghan received the offering 12 yards out right of the spot and drove it past the keeper for the 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs added a goal with 2:15 remaining in the first half. This time Caitlyn Disarcina dumped a pass into the box, finding Stelbasky left of the penalty spot. Stelbasky split two defenders with one touch and slipped a shot between the keeper and the right post for the insurance goal.

The Aggies played down a player the last 9:05 with Mikaela Harvey receiving two yellow cards and the subsequent red. Head coach G Guerrieri was also issued a red card in the 82^nd minute, his first since 2002 at the Big 12 Championship.

Texas A&M returns to action Sunday when they travel to Lawrence for a 1 pm contest against the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES

Head Coach G Guerrieri
On the match...
"You have to give a Butler a lot of credit. You have to give Tari (St. John) and Rob (Alman) and their entire staff a lot of credit. They did a great job. They did what they do well. They don't give up goals easily. We ended up proving that again by getting a lot of chances and not finishing them off. I thought that penalty area to penalty area we looked really good. They were more efficient and dangerous in the box and that was the difference in the match."

On his red card...
"That's my first red card in over 14 years. So I'm embarrassed that would happen. We'll regroup and figure out a plan for going to play a really good Kansas team without one of our captains. Miki (Harvey) was playing so well out there, taking all of the pounding that was being dished out, as she always does, and owning the midfield. We'll miss her on the field on Sunday, but we have the players who can step up."