Final
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Texas A&M’s Jazmine Wilkinson recorded her first career hat trick to lead the Aggies to a 4-3 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in Sunday’s match at Regal Soccer Stadium.
Wilkinson’s haul included two equalizers and the eventual game-winning goal. With the Aggies trailing 3-2, she knotted the game in the 77th minute and scored the game-winner less than a minute later.
Tennessee blitzed the Aggies with a goal by Jordan Fusco in the fifth minute of play, but Wilkinson answered with a game-knotter four minutes later as she stole the ball from the Vols keeper and scored from the right side of the penalty box six yards off the endline.
Sydney Becerra sent a banger in from 19 yards in the 14th minute as the Maroon & White staked claim to their first lead. The Aggies were on the front foot the rest of the half, outshooting the Volunteers 12-4, but were unable to inflate the cushion.
Fusco shocked the Aggies with a tying goal seven seconds into the second half and put the Volunteers ahead in the 48th minute, completing a hat trick of her own.
Texas A&M owned the advantages in shots (20-13), shots-on-goal (11-7) and corner kicks (5-3) and were the aggressors for much of the match with the exception of the waxing moments of the second stanza.
The Aggies moved to 8-6-3 on the season and 4-3-2 in SEC play. Tennessee dropped to 7-5-4 on the year and 2-4-3 in league action.
GOAL SUMMARY
5′ – Macaira Midgley slotted a ball through the Aggie backline and Jordan Fusco ran on it to start her hat trick. A&M 1, UT 0
9′ – With the Tennessee goalkeeper trying to work a ball back into the right side of the penalty box in order to handle it with her paws, Jazmine Wilkinson knocked the ball away. After gaining control Wilkinson threaded a shot from a sharp angle on the edge of the box. A&M 1, UT 1
14′ – Mia Pante sent a square pass from the left corner of the 18-yard box to Sydney Becerra who blasted a missile over the keeper for the go-ahead goal. A&M 2, UT 1
46′ – Tennessee needed just seven seconds to notch an equalizer. Maria Nelson sent a cross in from the endline on the right side of the penalty box and found Fusco for the goal at the near post. A&M 2, UT 2.
48′ – Fusco completed the hat trick with an assist by Jenna Stayart. A&M 2, UT 3.
77′ – Olivia Fetzer served a ball into the penalty box. It rattled around between a trio of Tennessee defenders before Wilkinson muscled her way in and toe poked an equalizer. A&M 3, UT 3
78′ – Becerra ran onto the defense down the center channel, sending a ball out to Sammy Smith at the left corner of the penalty box. Smith sent a service to the 6-yard box where a Wilkinson header completed the hat trick. A&M 4, UT 3
UP NEXT…
The Aggies wrap up the regular season Thursday when the Maroon & White travel to Baton Rouge for a 7:30 p.m. match against the LSU Tigers.
