No. 15 Texas A&M outlasts No. 19 Kansas, 4-3
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Despite goals from Estelle Johnson, Caitlin Noble and Shelby Williamson, the 19th-ranked Kansas soccer team fell at No. 15 Texas A&M, 4-3 in a Big 12 match played Friday at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
Kansas falls to 8-3-1 overall, and 0-2 in the Big 12, while the Aggies improve to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
Despite surrendering a pair of goals in the first 26 minutes, Kansas fought back and had a chance to tie the match in the final minutes when freshman Emily Cressy had a corner kick opportunity. However, the sophomore’s ball got caught in traffic and was knocked out of the box by the Aggie defense.
The Aggies scored what would be the eventual game-winning goal in the 62nd minute on a header by junior Alyssa Mautz. Following a Kansas foul just outside the box on the near side, Texas A&M’s Rachel Shipley sent the free kick into the middle of the box where Mautz used her head to direct the ball into the net, giving the home team a 4-2 lead.
Noble scored her second goal of the season in the 88th minute to bring KU within one. Freshman Whitney Berry set the play up with a through ball into the box, where Noble finished into the far corner of the net with 2:52 remaining.
However, that was as close as the match would get. The Jayhawks were able to take just one shot in the final two minutes, 52 seconds.
Texas A&M got on the board in the 16th minute on a rebound goal by Katie Hamilton. Aggie forward Whitney Hooper found Hamilton with a cross five yards away from the goal. After Hamilton’s initial shot was stopped by goalkeeper Julie Hanley, the rebound again found Hamilton’s foot. This time, the sophomore buried her fourth goal of the season at 15:18.
The Aggies took a 2-0 lead on a penalty kick, which was set up by Hooper. After making a move around her man, the junior was fouled in the box. Junior midfielder Rachel Shipley blasted home the pk in the 27th minute.
Johnson cut the lead in half in the 43nd minute. Following a corner kick, sophomore Kortney Clifton got a shot on net that was knocked down by the Aggie defense. However, their clearing attempt was blocked by Johnson deep in the box, where the senior finished into the top of the net at 42:06.
TAMU responded with a goal off a corner kick in the 52nd minute on a header by Bri Young. Texas A&M’s Rachel Shipley sent the ball into the middle of the box where Young put a head on it and directed it into the top of the net.
Kansas responded on a goal by freshman Shelby Williamson. Sophomore Emily Cressy got deep into the box on the near side and sent a cross to the far post where Williamson finished for her fifth goal of the season at 52:38.
Texas A&M held a 21-15 advantage in shots, including a game-high five by Mautz. Berry led the Kansas attack with four shots in the match, including two on net.
Kansas goalkeeper Julie Hanley made a season-high six saves in the match.
The Jayhawks’ three goals were the most the team has ever scored in a match at the Aggie Soccer Stadium. Prior to Friday’s match, KU had never recorded more than one goal in College Station.
KU got a boost in the final 10 minutes as the Jayhawk volleyball team arrived for their Saturday match against Texas A&M. The entire Kansas volleyball team was in attendence at the soccer match Friday.
The soccer Jayhawks will look to bounce back with a match at Texas on Sunday at 1 p.m.
