 "Photo: J.D. Swiger")
Friday at the Aggie Soccer Stadium, the No. 20 Texas A&M soccer team saw the end of an era, a shutout of a rival and a boost of momentum towards the postseason.
The Aggies (12-5-2, 6-2-2 in Big 12) defeated Texas (8-8-3, 4-3-3 in Big 12) 4-0 in front of 4,385 maroon-clad fans.
The victory clinched the second seed in the Big 12 for A&M as they move along to the Big 12 Championships this coming week.
Freshman forward Kim Castleberry scored her second goal of the season in the 34th minute off of an assist from junior forward Whitney Hooper. The goal stopped Castleberry's scoreless streak despite being fourth on the team in shots fired.
"It was really great to see Kim score," said Head Coach G Guerrieri. "She's been working hard; she's been feeling a lot better and playing a lot better the last three weeks. She's a goal scorer, and it's one of those things that we hope that once the dam gets broken that more can follow."
Sophomore defender Bri Young added to the lead in the 48th minute when she netted a goal from 25 yards out to bring the score to 2-0. Only minutes later did Young find freshman forward Nora Skelton in the box where Skelton wheeled and scored with her left foot.
A&M's last goal came when a handball was called on the Longhorns after senior forward Cydne Currie's fourth shot of the match.
Junior midfielder Rachel Shipley tallied her third penalty kick of the season, her sixth goal of the year.
The defense again shined with its third straight shutout and ninth of the season. The nine shutouts already surpass last season's total of eight.
The Aggies led the Longhorns in shots by a count of 26-10 and goalies Kristen Arnold and Kelly Dyer each accounted for one save.
Friday night was also Senior Night at the Aggie Soccer Stadium. It was the end of both Currie and defender Emily Peterson's careers playing in College Station. Each of the girls received a standing ovation when they were substituted out late in the match.
With the regular season coming to a close, the Aggies will now begin the postseason. A&M starts off Wednesday night in the first round of the Big 12 Championships against Baylor in San Antonio, and Guerrieri hopes Friday's win is a sign of things to come.
"It was a really good week of practice, and it was a really nice performance for our team," Guerrieri said. "We talked about before the game that we were due, and I thought it was a pretty complete match by our attacking side. Our defense played well too, and we feel pretty good about the way that we're going into the [Big 12] tournament."
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