It is officially the back-half of the SEC season.
It's time for the Maroon & White to get back on board after a productive week that ended with four points.
On Friday night, the Aggies will hope to shatter the expectations for both halves in their matchup against LSU.
Texas A&M (4-5-4, 1-4-1) will face LSU (7-5-2, 2-2-2) at the LSU Soccer Stadium in Baton Rouge at 7 p.m. CT.
"It will be an important game," A&M head coach G Guerrieri said on Monday. "LSU is ranked top 27 in RPI, so things that we're looking for are resume enhancers."
In their last two matches, Guerrieri & Co. have jumped from the bottom of the table up four spots as the Aggies have their minds set on climbing further up the SEC standings.
A thrilling 1-0 win in the Lone Star Showdown was followed by A&M’s scoreless stalemate with Oklahoma in Norman on Sunday.
The Ags left John Crain Field with a tie, but they are prepared for what is to come.
"We get a couple of days to recover from this really physical weekend," Guerrieri said. "And get ready to have another physical game in Baton Rouge against a really well-coached team that is playing well this season."
The Aggies are a little over half of the way through the SEC season, and it continues to be laborious.
Friday will be a toilsome match as the Maroon & White look to cause complications for the Tigers.
"The thing that we've been able to hang our hat on with this team is the heart and drive that they have," Guerrieri said. "There are a lot of teams in a lot of different sports that have gone through some of the bad bounces, the total turnaround, the bringing of 11 new starters, restructuring the staff, all of these things, all the excuses that could be used, but our players are like 'No.'"
LSU's lineup features a 1:1 ratio of underclassmen to upperclassmen from freshman Ryann Denecour to senior Ida Hermannsdottir, who averages a .682 shot on goal percentage.
Similarly, the Aggies do feature a sense of balance.
Furthermore, Guerreri's starting 11 has been elevated since last year, from players like Leah Diaz, Leah Pirro and Bella Yakel.
Ava Galligan and Hermannsdottir are the Tigers' top goal scorers with an accumulation of 10 goals. On the other hand, Trinity Buchanan, Diaz and Kaylee Noble represent A&M's top goal scorers with 10 goals as a trio.
On the defense, LSU has conceded 15 goals on 184 shots through 14 games played.
By contrast, A&M has suffered 12 goals against on 194 shots through 13 games, with sophomore Maysen Veronda making the last four starts in goal.
Undeniably, it's becoming evident that whatever upward trajectory the Aggies seem to be on must make a big spike as they take a short trip to Louisiana.
