Wednesday, May 5
Cary, N.C.
11:00 AM
Texas A&M
3
vs
3
Oklahoma State
Photo by: Reagan Lunn
Elite 8 Bound!
May 05, 2021 | Soccer
CARY, North Carolina – Texas A&M freshman Laney Carroll buried the decisive kick in shootout action to send the Aggies to the seventh NCAA Elite Eight in program history Wednesday afternoon at WakeMed Soccer Park – Field 4. No. 11 Texas A&M prevailed over No. 19 Oklahoma State in the shootout, 4-3, after the teams duked it out to a 3-3 draw after 110 minutes of play.
After the Cowgirls' Hannah Webb missed her attempt in the fifth round of kicks, Carroll confidently took the ball from the center official, placed it on the spot and stymied Oklahoma State's keeper Emily Plotz, who guessed the wrong way, sending the Maroon & White into a celebratory frenzy.
Both teams made their first three shootout attempts with Taylor Ziemer, Barbara Olivieri and Daria Britton striking for the Aggies. With Jordan Burbank serving as Texas A&M's crafty keeper, Oklahoma State missed their fourth and fifth round attempts. The Aggies likewise missed their fourth attempt, making it 3-3 heading into the fateful fifth round.
Before the shootout, it was a classic matchup between a relentless 110 minutes of fury from the Aggies against the quick strike arsenal from Oklahoma State.
The contest was tied after 110 minutes, despite Texas A&M owning wide margins in shots (38-11), shots-on-goal (16-5) and corner kicks (16-6). Oklahoma State netminder Plotz kept her team in the game with 12 saves and the Cowgirls made the most of their five shots-on-goal, putting three into the back of the net for a 60.0 percent rate.
Oklahoma State struck first with a goal by their star forward Gabriella Coleman in the 15th minute. The Aggies evened the game less than three minutes later with a goal by Ziemer and the Maroon & White took a 2-1 lead at the intermission when the substitute combo of Jai Smith and Ali Russell connected in the 44th minute.
The Cowgirls notched an equalizer 2:20 into the second half with Olyvia Dowell registering the goal and took their second lead of the match with Coleman's second score of the match.
Taylor Pounds scored the equalizer in the 80th minute and the Maroon & White were unrelenting with four shots in the final 10 minutes of regulation, but could not score the winner.
The contest swung heavily in Texas A&M's favor in the 92nd minute when Charm Morgan picked up her second yellow of the match and Oklahoma State had to go the last 18:12 down one player. The Maroon & White sent in eight shots with the bus parked in 6-yard box, but were unable to score the golden goal.
SCORING SUMMARY
15' | Olyvia Dowell slipped a pass through two defenders into the penalty box where Gabriella Coleman chased it down and sent in a shot from the left corner of the 6-yard box for the ice breaker. OSU 1, A&M 0.
17' | Kendall Bates sent a free kick in from 35 yards out. She found the head of Barbara Olivieri three yards right of the PK spot. Olivieri set the ball goalward where keeper Emily Plotz's attempt to clear settled at the top of the 6-yard pox where Taylor Ziemer poked it home with her left foot. A&M 1, OSU 1.
44' | Jai Smith sent a cross in from three yards off the left touchline 15 yards out. Ali Russell got her head on the other side of the service at the PK spot and sent it into the right side netting. A&M 2, OSU 1.
48' | Dowell received a pass with her back to goal at the top of the 18-yard box from Hannah Webb. She needed just one dribble to find a shooting lane and send a rocket into the left upper 90. A&M 2, OSU 2.
78' | The Cowgirls needed just one goal kick, a header and two passes to get Coleman into striking position 17 yards out, where she put a shot to the right of the keeper. OSU 3, A&M 2.
80' | Oklahoma State was unable to clear a corner kick from the left arc by Olivieri and Taylor Pounds cleaned up the debris with a volley five yards out. A&M 3, OSU 3.
SHOOTOUT
OSU – Grace Yochum – MADE
A&M – Taylor Ziemer – MADE
OSU – Kim Rodriguez – MADE
A&M – Barbara Olivieri – MADE
OSU – Ally Jackson – MADE
A&M – Daria Britton – MADE
OSU – Olyvia Dowell – missed
A&M – Lauren Geczik – missed
OSU – Hannah Webb – missed
A&M – Laney Carroll - MADE
UP NEXT…
The Aggies play a NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal match against the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels at 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 9 at WakeMed Soccer Park – Field 4 in Cary, North Carolina.
After the Cowgirls' Hannah Webb missed her attempt in the fifth round of kicks, Carroll confidently took the ball from the center official, placed it on the spot and stymied Oklahoma State's keeper Emily Plotz, who guessed the wrong way, sending the Maroon & White into a celebratory frenzy.
Both teams made their first three shootout attempts with Taylor Ziemer, Barbara Olivieri and Daria Britton striking for the Aggies. With Jordan Burbank serving as Texas A&M's crafty keeper, Oklahoma State missed their fourth and fifth round attempts. The Aggies likewise missed their fourth attempt, making it 3-3 heading into the fateful fifth round.
Before the shootout, it was a classic matchup between a relentless 110 minutes of fury from the Aggies against the quick strike arsenal from Oklahoma State.
The contest was tied after 110 minutes, despite Texas A&M owning wide margins in shots (38-11), shots-on-goal (16-5) and corner kicks (16-6). Oklahoma State netminder Plotz kept her team in the game with 12 saves and the Cowgirls made the most of their five shots-on-goal, putting three into the back of the net for a 60.0 percent rate.
Oklahoma State struck first with a goal by their star forward Gabriella Coleman in the 15th minute. The Aggies evened the game less than three minutes later with a goal by Ziemer and the Maroon & White took a 2-1 lead at the intermission when the substitute combo of Jai Smith and Ali Russell connected in the 44th minute.
The Cowgirls notched an equalizer 2:20 into the second half with Olyvia Dowell registering the goal and took their second lead of the match with Coleman's second score of the match.
Taylor Pounds scored the equalizer in the 80th minute and the Maroon & White were unrelenting with four shots in the final 10 minutes of regulation, but could not score the winner.
The contest swung heavily in Texas A&M's favor in the 92nd minute when Charm Morgan picked up her second yellow of the match and Oklahoma State had to go the last 18:12 down one player. The Maroon & White sent in eight shots with the bus parked in 6-yard box, but were unable to score the golden goal.
SCORING SUMMARY
15' | Olyvia Dowell slipped a pass through two defenders into the penalty box where Gabriella Coleman chased it down and sent in a shot from the left corner of the 6-yard box for the ice breaker. OSU 1, A&M 0.
17' | Kendall Bates sent a free kick in from 35 yards out. She found the head of Barbara Olivieri three yards right of the PK spot. Olivieri set the ball goalward where keeper Emily Plotz's attempt to clear settled at the top of the 6-yard pox where Taylor Ziemer poked it home with her left foot. A&M 1, OSU 1.
44' | Jai Smith sent a cross in from three yards off the left touchline 15 yards out. Ali Russell got her head on the other side of the service at the PK spot and sent it into the right side netting. A&M 2, OSU 1.
48' | Dowell received a pass with her back to goal at the top of the 18-yard box from Hannah Webb. She needed just one dribble to find a shooting lane and send a rocket into the left upper 90. A&M 2, OSU 2.
78' | The Cowgirls needed just one goal kick, a header and two passes to get Coleman into striking position 17 yards out, where she put a shot to the right of the keeper. OSU 3, A&M 2.
80' | Oklahoma State was unable to clear a corner kick from the left arc by Olivieri and Taylor Pounds cleaned up the debris with a volley five yards out. A&M 3, OSU 3.
SHOOTOUT
OSU – Grace Yochum – MADE
A&M – Taylor Ziemer – MADE
OSU – Kim Rodriguez – MADE
A&M – Barbara Olivieri – MADE
OSU – Ally Jackson – MADE
A&M – Daria Britton – MADE
OSU – Olyvia Dowell – missed
A&M – Lauren Geczik – missed
OSU – Hannah Webb – missed
A&M – Laney Carroll - MADE
UP NEXT…
The Aggies play a NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal match against the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels at 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 9 at WakeMed Soccer Park – Field 4 in Cary, North Carolina.