Aggies Roll to 5-0 Triumph over Sam Houston

Friday, September 3

Bryan-College Station

7:00 PM

Texas A&M

2-2-0, 0-0-0

Sam Houston

2-3-0, 0-0-0

Sam Houston

Texas A&M

Sep 03, 2021 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Five Aggies scored with two players logging their first collegiate goals as No. 18 Texas A&M soccer roared past the Sam Houston Bearkats in a 5-0 affair Friday night on Ellis Field.

The Aggies improve to an even 2-2 on the season, with both losses coming on the road against top-10 opposition in No. 1 Florida State and No. 8 TCU by single-goal margins. In defeat, Sam Houston drops to 2-3 overall. In an all-time series dating back to 2004, head coach G Guerrieri's Maroon & White squad extends their lead to 4-0 over the Bearkats.

Practically the entire match was played with Texas A&M in possession of the ball, leading to dominating margins in shots (32-4), shots on goal (16-2) and corner kicks (8-0). Freshman forward Natalie Abel had a breakout performance, notching her first collegiate goal in the first half and facilitating two more scores for a stellar four-point outing.

A&M roared out of the gates in the first half, amassing four goals and maintaining complete control in every statistical category. Kendall Bates, Kate Colvin, Daria Britton and Abel each recorded scores in the first 45 minutes, with Abel, Bates, Mia Pante and Ali Russell additionally booking assists. Carissa Boeckmann added a goal off of Abel's second assist of the night in the latter half of the match, finalizing the 5-0 score.

Kenna Caldwell manned the goal for the Aggies in the first 45 minutes, maintaining a shutout through the first half of play. Shantel Hutton made her first appearance of the season in goal for the Aggies in the second, recording two saves and completing the team's first shutout of the season. Sam Houston utilized two keepers, making the change in goal at halftime. Abby DeLozier registered six saves and four goals allowed while Tatum Kreuger had five saves and allowed a single score.

SCORING SUMMARY
4' – A&M raced down the left side of the field as Pante found a trailing Bates for the opening score. A&M 1, SHSU 0

12' – Colvin launched a shot from 15 yards out off of a Bates pass that sailed past the reach of the Bearkat goalkeeper. A&M 2, SHSU 0

34' – Abel sent a pinpoint corner kick into a scrum of players in the middle of the field, finding Britton for the score on a header. A&M 3, SHSU 0

37' – Russell's original shot was deflected by the Bearkat keeper off the post, but Abel cleaned up the rebound with a shot of her own that found the back of the net. A&M 4, SHSU 0

63' - Abel launched her second corner kick assist of the night to the middle of the field just inside the penalty area, finding Boeckmann for her first collegiate goal. A&M 5, SHSU 0

UP NEXT
Texas A&M soccer remains in the Brazos Valley this weekend, as the Maroon & White prepare to square off against the UTEP Miners on Sunday, September 5 in a 3 p.m. kickoff at Ellis Field.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach G Guerrieri
On performing well on both ends of the field…
"It felt great. I think when we came out and we were able to immediately establish some possession was outstanding. I'm glad that we were able to play two of our goalkeepers because Shan (Shantel Hutton) has been awesome in the preseason as has Kenna (Caldwell). I know that Kenna was happy that Shan was able to get in there and play because she knows how hard she has been working. That was a cool thing, the fact that we got a lot of players their first games, like Olivia Fetzer. It was her first game and she was really good tonight. I thought Macy Matula was really good tonight as well. I'm really pleased with the performance. We have a challenge now. We have to turn around in less than 40 hours and play in the heat of the day on Sunday against a UTEP team that is used to playing in the heat, so, that will be another challenge for us."

Senior midfielder Kendall Bates
On the boost of morale from her quick scoring…
"It just gives us a lot of confidence, just going into the next 80-85 minutes. It just lights that fire, once you get the first, then the next, it just kind of starts rolling."

Freshman forward Natalie Abel
On scoring the first goal of her collegiate career…
"It's amazing. I can't even describe it in words. I have been out these last few games; I was sick. I missed the TCU and the Clemson game and I was like, 'oh my gosh, I really want to go in these big games.' Then when I was finally back on the field I knew it was my time. I needed to score, I needed to do whatever I could out there while I was on the field."