COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Auburn (9-3-1, 1-3-1 SEC) fell into an early hole that it ultimately couldn't dig itself out of as the Tigers fell, 4-2, at No. 6 Texas A&M (12-1-1, 3-1-1 SEC) Thursday night at Ellis Field.
Treva Aycock and Dani Solaru accounted for Auburn's goals. Alyssa Malonson pitched in with a pair of assists and Sarah Houchin added one. The Tigers outshot Texas A&M, 17-13, in the contest.
"We didn't start the game well, giving up two goals in the first few minutes, but I'm proud of how the girls responded," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We were the better team for the next 85 minutes. We played great soccer, created a ton of opportunities, but got some tough breaks. I love the way the team played and fought until the end."
Auburn fell behind early as Texas A&M scored a pair of goals in the first three minutes of the contest. The first came on a flick inside the box and the second was the result of a cross that skipped through the defense and in front of the frame to the foot of an Aggie.
The Tigers chipped away at the Texas A&M lead as Aycock's sixth goal of the season came in the 15th minute. Malonson intercepted a pass near midfielder and dribbled down the seam, ultimately finding Aycock, who finished through the goalkeeper's legs to make the score 2-1.
After Auburn battle for the equalizer for the next 20-plus minutes, firing off seven shots during the span, but Texas A&M extended its lead back to two goals with a shot into the upper 90 six minutes prior to halftime.
The Tigers continued to battle after intermission and again cut the lead to one when Solaru came through with her second goal of the season in the 64th minute. Houchin received the throw-in from Malonson near midfield and lobbed it to Solaru behind the Texas A&M back line. The Irvine, California, native found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and put it into the back of the net.
However, Texas A&M increased its lead back to two after the Tigers were called for a hand ball inside the box on a shot that appeared to deflect off a player's shoulder. The Aggies then capitalized on the penalty kick to push the lead to the eventual final of 4-2.
Seventeen Tigers saw action in the match, including the Auburn debut for M.E. Craven.
"We'll be thrilled to get back home after these two tough road contests," Hoppa added. "Between now and Sunday, it's all about recovery and getting fresh both physically and mentally."
After back-to-back road contests against top-15 opponents, Auburn plays host to Georgia (4-5-3, 1-2-1 SEC) at the Auburn Soccer Complex Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. The contest will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
