COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies exploded for four goals in the second half to steamroller past the No. 9 Santa Clara Broncs, 4-0, at Ellis Field on Sunday evening.
After a two-hour delay starting the match due to inclement weather, the first-half play was a bit lethargic for both squads. The Aggies regrouped at the intermission and rattled off three quick shots with the third one finding the back of the net when Ally Watt pinballed a shot from 20 yards off the left post and into the right side-netting for the ice breaker in the 48th minute.
Watt became the first Aggie to score in five consecutive matches since Ashlee Pistorius in 2007. She stands two games shy of the Texas A&M record of 7 set by Linsey Woodard in 2002.
In the 64th minute, the dam broke open as Ásdís Halldórsdóttir, Jordan Hill and Emily Bates scored in succession over a span of 4:06 to balloon the lead to 4-0 with 22:52 remaining in the match. It marked Halldórsdóttir’s first career goal. Jimena López assisted on a pair of the goals.
Cosette Morché made five saves to record her fifth shutout of the season.
The victory gave the Aggies a 6-0-0 start for the first time since 1999.
In their last two matches, Texas A&M was shutout in the first half but scored a combined seven goals in the second half. In the last two seasons, the Maroon & White are outscoring opponents 36-8 in the second half, including 11-0 in 2018.
For the game, Texas A&M owned the edge in shots (21-16) and shots-on-goal (10-5) and Santa Clara held a 6-3 edge in corner kicks.
GOAL SUMMARY
48’ – Watt stripped the ball from a midfielder and charged down the center channel towards the box. She ripped a right-footer from 20 yards that ricocheted hard off the left post into the right side-netting for the ice breaker. A&M 1, SCU 0.
64’ – From 30 yards out near the left touchline, Lopez chipped a ball over three defenders and Halldórsdóttir met it shortly after it hit the ground, eight yards out, and put a toe poke past the keeper for her first career goal. A&M 2, SCU 0.
65’ – Kendall Ritchie ripped a free kick from 25 yards off Broncos’ wall. The carom skied into the air before dropping near the PK spot where Lopez ripped a shot that hit a Santa Clara player in the six-yard box. Hill was there to clean up house, putting the ball past the keeper from four yards. A&M 3, SCU 0.
68’ – Bates gathered the ball and charged towards the penalty arc on a 2-on-4 with Rheagen Smith. Smith held two of the defenders off on the left and Bates dribbled into the box and raced around right flank of the other two defenders. She ripped a shot from 10 yards out sending it between a diving keeper and the right post. A&M 4, SCU 0.
UP NEXT
The Aggies continue their eight-game homestand Friday when they host the Colorado College Tigers in an 8 p.m. contest on Ellis Field. Texas A&M looks to improve to 7-0-0 for just the third time in school history and the first time since 1997.