Second Chances in Aggieland
Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
Long before the “transfer portal” became a part of the national lexicon, players were coming to Aggieland to revitalize their careers.
Some of the most iconic names in Aggie soccer arrived in the Brazos Valley after starting their career elsewhere.
One of those former Maroon & White spangled stars is current Aggie assistant coach, Alyssa Mautz. After starting her collegiate career at Saint Louis, she transferred to Texas A&M to play her last three seasons.
“You can’t find a better college soccer atmosphere than in Aggieland,” Mautz said. “Being under the lights at Ellis Field with the pride of the 12th Man behind you is something every player should want to experience.”
Mautz used her three years in College Station to develop into a future 11-year professional. As NWSL celebrated its 10-year anniversary, Mautz was recognized as one of the Original 21, honoring the players who saw action every season of the league’s existence. Her career included a 10-year stint with Chicago Red Stars, logging 142 caps, including 85 starts.
“Alyssa is the dream role model for our young women,” Guerrieri said. “Many of the goals and aspirations of our current and future players are things she has already accomplished. Young players can find no better example of what it takes to get to the next level.”
Another Aggie to thrive after transferring is Merritt Mathias. She played two seasons at North Carolina, before heading to A&M where she developed into an All-Big 12 performer. She recently retired after a 12-year career in the NWSL – one of just 11 players who played in the NWSL the whole first 12 years. She played over 14,000 minutes in 196 regular season matches. She won three NWSL shields and three championships.
“We are in the ‘dream fulfillment business’ here at Texas A&M,” head coach G Guerrieri said. “Alyssa and Merritt are just two of our great success stories in that area. Every time one of our players makes it on the next level it fills us with pride.”
The list of places to play professional is growing for women’s soccer players and the Aggie staff is doing its best to prepare players for the move forward.Most recently Jazmine Wilkinson, a Canadian who played two seasons at Texas A&M after starting her career at Arizona State joined the new Northern Super League in her home country.
“It’s gratifying to see her dream come true and sign with Ottawa,” Guerrieri said. “She came to Texas A&M looking for a fresh start. She was able to experience a rebirth as a dangerous striker for us through hard work and a new perspective."
Nine transfers are currently thriving on the 2025 Aggie roster. They have arrived from all corners of the country to experience the best atmosphere in college soccer. The list includes Trinity Buchanan (UNLV), Kennedy Clark (Xavier), Leah Diaz (Tulsa), Savannah Hutchins (NC State), Hattie Patterson (Ole Miss), Leah Pirro (Grand Canyon), Hayden Wilson (Oregon State) and Bella Yakel (Portland).
“I wanted to play at one of the highest levels of Division I soccer and be a part of a winning program,” Wilson said. “I wanted to be around people that want to compete and win all the time. I loved the culture. The coaches are amazing. The girls are very welcoming and I heard nothing but good things about the school. When I got on campus it was unreal. I’ve never seen spirit like this at any other place.”
Other Aggie transfer success stories include Taylor Ziemer (FC Koln – Germany), Sammy Smith (Breidablik – Iceland) and Allison Lowrey (IBV – Iceland).
A goalkeeper in his playing days, Guerrieri has been especially profound at molding transfer netminders. Danielle Rice (Creighton), Cosette Morché (Louisiana) and Grace McClellan (Keiser) all moved on to the professional ranks after mentoring from Coach G.
“I felt like I was missing something,” Morché said. “I wasn’t learning anything new about the game or growing my game personally until I came to Texas A&M. I wanted to try something new and broaden my horizons.”
Morché capitalized on another one of those new opportunities, becoming a starting goalkeeper for Fort Lauderdale United FC in its inaugural season in the USL Super League after playing professionally for several years in Europe.
Now Coach G is tutoring Erica Defferding, a transfer goalkeeper from Incarnate Word. Last year’s, Southland Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, she is also looking for something new.
“As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew this was the right spot for me,” Defferding said. “The coaches were super welcoming. I was looking for an all-around school and Texas A&M is exactly that – a perfect mix of competitive soccer and strong academics. It checked all of my boxes.”
“Aggieland truly is a special place,” Guerrieri said. “It’s offering a friendly, safe, and nurturing environment which has helped so many of our young women achieve at an amazingly high level. But it’s not unusual for young players to make an initial, hasty decision on where they chose to go to play and study in college and find themselves wondering if that is a place where their dreams can truly be fulfilled. So, A&M has provided the opportunity for them to be rejuvenated and be part of something bigger than themselves. Texas A&M offers a world class education, a far-reaching alumni network, and the most passionate fans in America which sure makes it a lot easier to see why Aggieland has been the perfect landing spot for those super talented soccer players who want to work to earn it all.”
