BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The National Women's Soccer League opening weekend featured an Aggieland flavor as six former Texas A&M standouts saw action on the pitch.
Â
Four Aggies earned starting assignments, including Jimena Lopez and Ally Watt with OL Reign, Addie McCain with Kansas City Current and Merritt Mathias with the North Carolina Courage. Shea Groom (Houston Dash) and Alyssa Mautz (Chicago Red Stars) made appearances off the bench.
Â
The tally marked the high-water mark for Aggie soccer on opening day. Lopez, who made her debut with OL Reign in July 2021, played in her first opening day match.
Â
The NWSL's 2022 campaign features each of the 12 teams playing a 28-match schedule running through October. The league calendar year began with the NWSL Challenge Cup starting March 18. Four Aggies are on clubs that advanced to the Challenge Cup semifinal round which will be contested on May 4, including Lopez and Watt with Reign playing the Washington Spirit and McCain and Mathias squaring off in a match between Current and Courage.
Â
Mathias (3rd – 164) and Mautz (18th - 135) both rank among the NWSL top 20 in career matches played. Mathias has won league titles in 2014 with FC Kansas City and 2018 and 2019 with the Courage. Groom won a Challenge Cup with the Dash in 2020, earning MVP of the final.
Â
Four Aggies earned starting assignments, including Jimena Lopez and Ally Watt with OL Reign, Addie McCain with Kansas City Current and Merritt Mathias with the North Carolina Courage. Shea Groom (Houston Dash) and Alyssa Mautz (Chicago Red Stars) made appearances off the bench.
Â
The tally marked the high-water mark for Aggie soccer on opening day. Lopez, who made her debut with OL Reign in July 2021, played in her first opening day match.
Â
The NWSL's 2022 campaign features each of the 12 teams playing a 28-match schedule running through October. The league calendar year began with the NWSL Challenge Cup starting March 18. Four Aggies are on clubs that advanced to the Challenge Cup semifinal round which will be contested on May 4, including Lopez and Watt with Reign playing the Washington Spirit and McCain and Mathias squaring off in a match between Current and Courage.
Â
Mathias (3rd – 164) and Mautz (18th - 135) both rank among the NWSL top 20 in career matches played. Mathias has won league titles in 2014 with FC Kansas City and 2018 and 2019 with the Courage. Groom won a Challenge Cup with the Dash in 2020, earning MVP of the final.