Overall, this result, though incredibly painful, is basically what I expected from the team this year before it began, given that it did seem to be a bit of a rebuilding year. The really painful part is that the long favorable home stand at the beginning of the year got our hopes up a bit. When we had to play tough teams on the road, the wins stopped coming so easily. Playing on the road is just tough unless you're plainly superior to your opponent across the field. We are not that type of team, and the results on the road showed it. So, although there were hopes at some point of a 1 or 2 seed, those hopes arose before we played the toughest stretch of SEC opponents, mostly on the road, right at the end of the season.

I don't like the notion that Tennessee is clearly a better squad, but they are. They showed more toughness, more determination to finish chances with good shots, and more tenacity to win the ball.

Our kids continue to struggle when facing an opponent that muscles up against them, and that's something that'll need to change if we want to advance farther, since nearly every team brings an element of physical play. We have great technical artists, but sometimes in this sport brute force wins, and it definitely wins when you combine force with speed and skill. Players like Shaw and Marcano that have skill and the strength to not be knocked off a ball they want to keep can (and do) win games for you. We've got that strength, speed, and skill set on our back line, but not up front.

Two other observations.
1. Despite the Tennessee penchant for physical play, at the time of their third goal the referee had called one foul on Tennessee versus six on A&M. That lopsided tally did not reflect the play on the field. I'm not blaming the referee for the loss, but that's a stunning and unjustifiable differential nearly 3/4 of the way through the game.
2. Tennessee has two players--Shaw and Marcano (especially Marcano)--who will take the game in their hands and make something happen. We don't have comparable forces on our roster. A couple of A&M players have done something like that once or twice this season, but no one has stood out as the player who will not be stopped and who will take a ball and create a chance by pure force of will and tenacity. Groom and Matthias stand out as past players for A&M who would do that. I hope Taylor Ziemer or Ali Russell will be that player consistently.

Overall, though frustrated to be drubbed by Tennessee to close out the season, I'm grateful for the great coaches, staff, and players we have, all of whom are terrific people. That matters a lot more than collecting wins.

Like CDub06, I sure do appreciate all of you that support the team, staff, and coaches and who get on here to engage in thoughtful analysis.

And, wow, I really appreciate folks like Mullokmotx who venture all across the country to support Aggie Soccer.

Lookin' forward to Spring Soccer and beyond...