BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – In front of a packed crowd of 6,857 fans at Ellis Field, Texas A&M's women's soccer team secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over UConn in a match that came down to the final minutes.
The Aggies struck first in the 24th minute when Trinity Buchanan found the back of the net with a well-orchestrated play, assisted by Taylor Jernigan and Riley Crooks. The goal gave Texas A&M momentum heading into the latter stages of the first half.
UConn responded with determination, and their persistence paid off in the 41st minute when Kaitlyn Richins leveled the score with an unassisted goal, sending the teams into halftime deadlocked at 1-1.
The second half saw both teams battle for control, with Texas A&M outshooting UConn 12-6 overall in the match. Despite the shot advantage, neither team could break through until the 85th minute when Taylor Jernigan became the hero for the Aggies. Jernigan's late winner, assisted by Holly Storer, sent the home crowd into a frenzy and sealed the victory for Texas A&M.
The match was notably clean, with only nine total fouls called and just one yellow card issued to the Aggies. UConn earned six corner kicks to Texas A&M's three, but couldn't capitalize on the set-piece opportunities.
Looking Ahead
Both teams have quick turnarounds with matches scheduled for Thursday, August 28th.
Texas A&M will travel to face Denver at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium in Colorado, with kickoff set for 5:00 PM local time. The match will be broadcast on 1550 AM radio for fans unable to make the trip.
Meanwhile, UConn returns home to host Brown University at the Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at Rizza Performance Center in Storrs, Connecticut. That match is scheduled for a 7:00 PM kickoff.
For Texas A&M, this victory provides momentum as they head into a challenging road test against Denver. The Aggies will look to build on their late-game execution and the emerging chemistry between Jernigan, Storer, and Buchanan in the attacking third.
UConn, despite the loss, showed resilience and will aim to bounce back quickly in front of their home crowd against Brown. The Huskies' ability to create scoring chances and earn set pieces suggests they have the tools to regroup effectively.