G Guerrieri and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie soccer team return to Ellis Field on Thursday to open the 2025 season with a rivalry matchup against Baylor. We’re looking ahead to the upcoming campaign with our 2025 Texas A&M Soccer Preview Series.
From a dream to reality.
Forward Eloise Descheneaux had one. Anyone who has watched Descheneaux cross a ball or dribble past defenders knows Descheneaux plays with the reality.
So, what is the dream for her?
"I always wanted to play for coach G (Guerrieri) and the Aggies, so being able to come out here and just step on Ellis Field, it just meant so much, and it’s been an honor to be here," she said in an interview last Thursday.
This meaningful, powerful quote speaks to the purpose of Descheneaux. She was born and raised in the Aggie way of life.
Now entering her senior season at Texas A&M, the forward’s journey to fulfilling her reality started all the way back as a youth.
Descheneaux was viewed as a standout at Metro United Development Academy, a youth program based in Northern Virginia.
She then spent a two-year stint at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where she was on the U19 Elite Squad coached by Michael Rodrigues.
Descheneaux has two motivations. Of course, the desire to play the game at a high level is extremely strong, but her academic achievements never take a backseat.
Before getting to College Station as a student-athlete, she ended her years in high school with a 4.67 GPA and earned admittance to the National Honor Society.
Her path to living out her dream of playing on Ellis Field started as a young girl. In her youth, Descheneaux attended Texas A&M’s summer soccer camps. As she turned into the academic weapon that she continues to be, her ability to attack life, both on and off the field, with speed, power and determination helped attract the attention of Guerrieri’s staff.
In 2022, as she arrived on campus to begin her collegiate career, there was a possibility that Descheneaux might not get the chance to play for the Aggies due to every player in Guerrieri’s program having to fight for a position in the lineup.
“Listen, you may never play,” Guerrieri recalled of his conversations years ago. “There’s a chance that you might never, ever get into the lineup, but if you’re willing to come and work your hardest every single day, be a good teammate, be someone who represents this university, on and off the field, then you’re going to get your chance.”
Undeterred, Descheneaux worked.
While she did not see action as a redshirt freshman in 2022, she earned a place SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
As a sophomore, she appeared in two games, making her collegiate debut against Grambling on Sept. 7, 2023. Ten days later, against Texas Southern, she recorded an assist in a 10-0 Aggie victory. Following that campaign, she earned the program’s Spirit of Aggieland Award for her positive attitude as a teammate, leader and Aggie.
Last season, Descheneaux again did not see action as the Aggies slumped to an 8-9-2 record and missed the NCAA Tournament, but she again excelled in the classroom en route to another appearance on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Indeed, her career has only seen her play for 38 minutes with a single assist to her credit. Yet her academics remain strong.
That shows the two sides of Eloise Descheneaux, and she is firing on all cylinders.
After stepping back and taking what is deemed as a “pause” from soccer last year, she has questions to answer.
Will she return to playing soccer? Will she be prepared for what is to come? Will she continue to be a great teammate on and off the field?
Descheneaux answered “yes” to all three.
With the upcoming season set to arrive this week, she said she'll be comfortable by the time kickoff vs. Baylor rolls around.
That comfort is found in the Spirit of Aggieland.
"I think it speaks volumes for the 12th Man," Descheneaux said. "It's how important they are to us."
