Tyler Butler
CLEMSON, S.C. – In Clemson’s first road game of the 2021 campaign, No. 20 Texas A&M (1-2, 0-0 SEC) defeated the Tigers (2-1, 0-0 ACC) 3-1 in a hard-fought match on Saturday night in College Station.
The Aggies struck first early on with a score in the 19th minute. However, Hensley Hancuff prevented further damage by coming up with a stellar penalty-kick save in the 30th minute to keep the deficit at one goal through the first 45 minutes. The senior goalkeeper tallied three total saves in the period.
In the second half, the Tiger offense broke through. After several attempts on goal, freshman Renee Lyles came through with the equalizer in the 62nd minute, a brilliant strike from just outside the left of the box which caromed off the crossbar and into the net. It was the freshman’s third goal of her early career. However, Texas A&M answered back immediately with a go-ahead score of its own just a minute later.
The Aggies found the back of the net again in the 79th minute to put the match out of reach.
Next up, the Tigers travel to Athens for a battle against the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday, September 2. The match will kick off at 7 p.m.
Justin Shealy
