500! Guerrieri's program reaches milestone moment by blanking Mizzou
500th program victory: In the books.
First SEC win of the season: On the road.
In a momentous victory, Texas A&M (6-3, 1-0 in SEC) took the clean sheet against Missouri (2-5-1, 0-1) in Columbia. The match ended 1-0 in the Aggies’ favor, marking the Tigers' 10th consecutive SEC loss.
Defeating Missouri, G Guerrieri, with the program he started, claimed the No. 4 spot on the NCAA wins list.
A&M’s historic night began with a Missouri shot in the third minute; their scattered formation gave the Aggies room to take control.
This was most notable in the 25th minute, with back-to-back A&M attempts. This seven-minute stint began with a block on junior midfielder Sydney Becerra's shot and continued as graduate forward Jazmine Wilkinson powered one off the crossbar.
Shots by sophomore midfielder Grace Ivey and Wilkinson in the 17th and 32nd also proved off-target.
A scoreless first half ceased as the Ags' emphasis on control was negated by short possessions while attacking. They exited the half with nine shots and three shots on goal, compared to the Tiger's four shots and no shots on goal.
Moving forward in the match, Guerrieri & Co. needed to empower the backline and secure longer attacking possessions to take control of the last 45 minutes of play.
Less one-on-one scenarios allowed the Maroon & White to hold possession better and control the match's tempo. Similarly, being quick yet patient with the ball created more opportunities at goal.
Mizzou also made adjustments, becoming more compact in their formation and managing more attempts.
The Tigers again took the initial shot of the half from junior forward Kylee Simmons in the 49th. However, Becerra regained control with a strong, central shot in the same minute.
In the 52nd, another Becerra shot on goal shot was stopped by Missouri sophomore goalkeeper Kate Phillips.
The return of freshman goalkeeper Sydney Fuller kept the Ags in the game, as her first save of the night came in the 60th.
A&M fought to maintain steady pressure with attempts by senior Mia Pante, Becerra and senior defender Margo Matula leading into the 60th minute.
Finally, a Matula tap-in off an assist from Becerra gave the Ags the lead in the 62nd.
The Maroon & White defense remained steady, only allowing one additional shot on goal throughout the night. Fuller punched a precarious Simmons shot up and over the bar in the 81st minute to ultimately emerge victorious.
Though it took a second to warm up, the Aggies played to their strengths to secure the win. The match ended with 18 shots and eight shots on goal by the Ags, who allowed the Tigers a mere nine shots, two shots on goal and two yellow cards.
A&M returns to Ellis Field on Sunday for their first-ever SEC matchup against Oklahoma (7-1, 0-1).
The Aggies will also Turn It Gold during their match, set for a 2 p.m. CT kickoff.
All proceeds from the match — including replica and game-worn jerseys — will be donated to the Turn It Gold Foundation, a group founded by Aggie Moms in support of the fight against pediatric cancer.