Wildcats Dominate Texas A&M, 3-0, To Close Regular Season
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Thanks to its second three-goal performance in three matches, Kentucky (11-4-3, 5-2-3 SEC) wrapped up its regular season campaign with a dominant 3-0 shutout over Texas A&M (5-7-5, 2-6-2 SEC) at Ellis Field. With the win, Kentucky earned the program’s first victory over the Aggies and also secured a top five finish in Southeastern Conference for the first time since 2014.
The Wildcats closed the SEC regular season with five wins and 18 points, good enough to tie LSU for fifth place in the league table. Because the two teams tied 1-1 in Baton Rouge last weekend, the tie was broken for seeding purposes by points against common opponents, with LSU earning 13 compared to Kentucky’s 11.
Kentucky also left College Station with a historic victory over Texas A&M, notching its first win over the Aggies and improving the series record to 1-8-2. The three goals against the Aggies was the most by a Kentucky team in series history. The victory was also the second SEC road win in the four-year career of head coach Troy Fabiano.
Freshman goalkeeper Megan Holland earned her first career shutout on the night, tying her career high with four saves. The performance was the second shutout for Kentucky in SEC play and seventh on the season.
Kentucky was able to win the possession battle for the 16th time in 18 matches this season and outshoot the Aggies, 20-10, but it was Texas A&M who had the first real chance in the match. In the 13th minute, a Wildcat turnover gave Trinity Buchanan a clear look at goal, but Holland stepped up to make her first save of the match to keep the match level in the early stages.
Kentucky would take a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a 40th minute goal from Katherine Truitt. The nation’s leader in corner kicks, the Wildcats were able to earn an attempt from the corner flag and allow Grace Hoytink to deliver a perfect ball into the middle of the box. Truitt was able to get open near the penalty spot and place a right-footed volley into the back of the net.
With the lead in hand, the Cats were able to put the match out of reach in the second half, with Thalia Morisi scoring in the 64th minute and Sydni Fink adding her first goal of the season in the 68th minute.
Skye Leach found the ball on the edge of the final third and played it to Tanner Strickland on the right wing. Strickland made some nifty moves to avoid several defenders and laid a ball off to a charging Morisi, who found herself open in the middle of the box. Similar to her goal at LSU last week, Morisi was able to take a touch to herself and blast the ball into net for her sixth goal of the season.
Just four minutes late, Fink delivered the final blow with her first career goal in conference play. Gabi Poretto played a ball from the defensive half to Fink, who found herself open thanks to a well-timed run. The sophomore from Naperville, Illinois was able to avoid defenders and deliver an initial shot, which was blocked. The ball ended up at the left foot of the Wildcat, who made no mistake on her second attempt.
The Cats were content to defend for the final 20 minutes of the contest, securing the team’s 11th victory of the season—matching last year’s squad for the most under Fabiano.
Kentucky will have the week off before traveling to Pensacola, Florida for the First Round of the SEC Tournament on Sunday, November 2. Slotted as the No. 6 seed after the tiebreak, the Cats will open their third consecutive campaign at the SEC Tournament against No. 11 seed Florida at 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
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