Texas A&M remains winless in SEC play as Hogs blank Ags at Ellis, 1-0

Match #10: No. 10 Arkansas 1, Texas A&M 0
Records: Texas A&M (3-4-3, 0-3-0), Arkansas (5-2-2, 3-0-0)
Box Score

The result was unfortunate, but the Aggies are not discouraged.

Texas A&M (3-4-3, 0-3-0) rolled into its third SEC game vs. 10th-ranked Arkansas (5-2-2, 3-0) on Sunday evening, and unlike last year's vigorous draw between these two teams, the Razorbacks took the win this time at Ellis Field, 1-0.

“I was proud as heck of our girls for the fight,” A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. “You play against the most physical team in the country, and you come out on the upper hand, except for the most important part, which is that somebody was able to put the ball in the net for them.”

Starting off the annual Turning It Gold match, the Razorbacks came in spirited, creating a scoring opportunity less than a minute after kickoff. The Aggies caught on pretty quickly to the intensity of the game and stepped up defensively, holding a strong backline.

However, in the 11th minute, the game’s only goal was scored by Razorback Valiana Tu’ua, who finished off an assist from Kennedy Ball. Striking the ball into the top right of Maysen Veronda’s goal, Arkansas held the 1-0 lead for the rest of the night.

“I definitely think we're getting our shots off, but not enough,” Leah Diaz said about A&M’s offense. “We can definitely work on putting them on frame, just hitting them under the crossbar.”

With Arkansas' offensive mindset on the match, the Aggies had pride themselves on their defense, staying composed and keeping more players back in order to prevent the opposition from further opportunities.

Off the bat, midfielder Trinity Buchanan made a starring appearance on the field, putting herself in control of the midfield and constantly using her skilled vision to switch the field and play. Alongside Buchanan Diaz, played very sharp, making sure to be at the right spots on the field when needed, especially during transitions.

Throughout the first half, both teams made numerous critical substitutions, switching up the starting lineup and allowing for positive change in the match from the players that came in. At the end of the half, the Aggies totaled two shots, while the Razorbacks had three, with one being a goal.

Entering the second half, the Aggies switched their defense mindset, now pressing hard against the Razorbacks' backline and attempting to even the score. A&M attempted three shots inside the box back to back, with no luck of cracking the scoreboard.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

Kaylee Noble had Texas A&M’s only shot on goal vs. Arkansas.

“I definitely think we controlled the game a bit more than Arkansas," Diaz said. “This is just a very kick-and-run game, and I think we handled that very well and did what we could and battled and fought in the air and on the ground.”

In the 59th minute, the Maroon & White received their first yellow card of the game as defender Hattie Patterson received the card due to an unsporting call.

With under 15 minutes left in the match and the competitiveness rising, both teams ramped up the physically.

Towards the end of the night, the Aggies were still down. Regardless of the score, A&M continued to fight and give it their all in an attempt to score. In the 80th minute, two Aggie players — Taylor Jernigan and Mia Scranton — both took amazing shots from outside the box, making it clear that their team is comfortable playing outside of the 18.

“It's tough when we create so many chances, and the ball just doesn't go in,” Guerrieri said of the offense. “Eventually, the luck has to turn.”

With another scoreless evening, A&M has scored just once in its last five matches and has yet to score in an SEC game.

Next for A&M is a Friday road trip to face No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville.