Holding on

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M senior Kelley Monogue notched two goals and an assist in the second half as the No. 9 Aggies registered a 4-3 win against the Dayton Flyers Friday in the season-opener at Ellis Field.

Monogue's assist set up the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute. After Dayton scored two goals in a span of 19 seconds to tie the game, 3-3, in the 82nd minute, Monogue reentered the contest after a brief spell on the bench. The Aggies worked the end line for a corner kick with Monogue offering the service from the right arc. She lofted a ball to the near post where Shea Groom put her head on it and sent it to the back of the net for the 4-3 lead.

Monogue’s two goals bumped her career tally to 37, tied with Heather Ragsdale (1999-2002) for sixth place on A&M’s all-time list.

Dayton was unable to get a shot in the closing 7:30 of play as A&M salted the clock away.

Knotted 1-1 coming out of the intermission, Monogue gave the Aggies their first lead of the game in the 51st minute. After a successful tackle to strip a Flyers’ defender of the ball, Monogue, a senior, launched a heavy ball from 15 yards out past the Dayton netminder for the 2-1 advantage.

Monogue struck again in the 56th minute. This time she took a free kick 10 yards off the end line on the left side of the penalty box. Monogue bent the ball into the far netting as Janae Cousineau made a run across the face of the goal to freeze the keeper, giving A&M a 3-1 advantage.

The Aggies were cruising to the win before thunder struck in the 82nd minute. With 8:51 left in the match, Nicole Waters slotted a pass down the left side of the pitch to find Ashley Campbell entering the penalty box. Campbell took two touches in the box before unleashing a shot past a diving Renee McDermott to cut the lead to 3-2. Nineteen seconds later, Waters took a free kick from 30 yards out, hitting a laser to the left of McDermott for the equalizer.

Waters also accounted for the first goal of the match. In the 13th minute, the Aggies were unsuccessful in an attempt to clear the ball out of the penalty box. Waters collected the ball at the top of the box and chipped a ball over McDermott.

The Aggies knotted the game at 1-1 with 7:03 left in the first half. Annie Kunz sent a pass into space on the right side of the penalty box as Bianca Brinson chased the ball down and sprinted to the right corner of the six-yard box, blasting a shot into the left side-netting.

Texas A&M returns to action on Sunday when the Aggies play host to Stephen F. Austin at Ellis Field.