University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Bulldogs Got Needed Win Over A&M
October 03, 2026 | Soccer, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Some wins are followed by elation, others by relief. The Georgia soccer team experienced some of both after Friday night's come-from-behind win over Texas A&M at the Turner Soccer Complex.
September was a tough month for the Bulldogs, who played five matches, three against ranked teams, and ended the stretch with three ties and two losses. The game against the Aggies, a 2-1 win after trailing 1-0 at the half, was the start of a critical stretch for Georgia, and the victory was the team's first since winning 2-0 at Mercer on Aug. 30.
"We needed that," Georgia head coach Keidane McAlpine said. "It's the culmination of all the games we've fought back and had to deal with adversity and all the things. We actually got a moment to have a little luck, make a little luck, and hopefully gain a little bit more momentum."
Georgia's first goal came after a Texas A&M handball in the penalty box with 25:40 left in the game. Senior captain Kiera Staude took the kick and delivered a perfect strike, sending the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, just beyond the reach of Aggie goalkeeper Makenna August.
Staude said she relied on some words of Dr. Dylan Firsick, Georgia's Assistant Athletic Director for Mental Health & Performance, in the long lead-up to the penalty. The officials took several minutes to review the foul, making sure it was a handball, and to correct the clock, so Staude had time to get ready physically and mentally.
"I was just trying to listen to our sports psych, Dr. Dylan, and do my box breathing and get my heart rate down, and, honestly, just try not to think about it. I think at this point, it's muscle memory and it's more in your head than anything," Staude said. "I didn't even know where I was going to hit it. I'm still probably not sure where I hit it, which direction."
She hit it perfectly, tying the game and giving the Bulldogs a boost that wound up carrying them to a much-needed win. It was her first goal of the season and eighth of her Georgia career.
"This game was so, so important for our season, No. 1, and then I also just think so important for morale," Staude said. "We've had so many games where we just couldn't get the win, couldn't dig out the win, even though we worked so hard for it. We've had five or six in a row like that, so it was just important for us from a morale and attitude standpoint."
Fifth-year midfielder Sage Glover delivered what proved to be the game-winner a few minutes after Staude tied it. After a ball was sent deep into the A&M box and an Aggie defender headed it high into the air, Glover collected it with her chest and then hit a soft, arcing volley with her right foot into the top right corner of the goal.
The strike from just inside the top of the box was hit a little on the outside of her foot for some inside-out movement toward the goal, and it unleashed a big celebration from Glover and her teammates. It was her first goal in live action — she scored on a penalty kick at Minnesota on Aug. 16 — since she suffered a broken right ankle early last season.
"It was nice. I don't think I've scored in a while, so I think it was just really nice to get back in front and celebrate with the team," Glover said.
Glover was constantly around the ball in the second half, and played what McAlpine said was her best game since the injury.
"Since her recovery, this by far was her most complete game," McAlpine said. "I thought the first half, it wasn't great, but she grew into the game. She lifted her game, she found pockets (of space), she found the ball, and she played really, really well."
Georgia (4-3-5) came into the game with a loss and three ties in SEC play. Friday's win could be the launching point for a strong second half of the conference schedule. The Bulldogs host Ole Miss next Friday, followed by a game at No. 5 Alabama on Oct. 15, the home finale against Missouri on Oct. 18, and then road games versus No. 11 South Carolina and Florida to close out the regular season.
"We feel like we should have gotten better results all the way through the season, from the beginning all the way to now, so to finally get a win in the league, to finally put the points on the board, inches us closer to where we want to be," McAlpine said. "Hopefully it will free them up to play with a little bit more energy and resolve in the games to come."
Staff Writer
Some wins are followed by elation, others by relief. The Georgia soccer team experienced some of both after Friday night's come-from-behind win over Texas A&M at the Turner Soccer Complex.
September was a tough month for the Bulldogs, who played five matches, three against ranked teams, and ended the stretch with three ties and two losses. The game against the Aggies, a 2-1 win after trailing 1-0 at the half, was the start of a critical stretch for Georgia, and the victory was the team's first since winning 2-0 at Mercer on Aug. 30.
"We needed that," Georgia head coach Keidane McAlpine said. "It's the culmination of all the games we've fought back and had to deal with adversity and all the things. We actually got a moment to have a little luck, make a little luck, and hopefully gain a little bit more momentum."
Georgia's first goal came after a Texas A&M handball in the penalty box with 25:40 left in the game. Senior captain Kiera Staude took the kick and delivered a perfect strike, sending the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, just beyond the reach of Aggie goalkeeper Makenna August.
Staude said she relied on some words of Dr. Dylan Firsick, Georgia's Assistant Athletic Director for Mental Health & Performance, in the long lead-up to the penalty. The officials took several minutes to review the foul, making sure it was a handball, and to correct the clock, so Staude had time to get ready physically and mentally.
"I was just trying to listen to our sports psych, Dr. Dylan, and do my box breathing and get my heart rate down, and, honestly, just try not to think about it. I think at this point, it's muscle memory and it's more in your head than anything," Staude said. "I didn't even know where I was going to hit it. I'm still probably not sure where I hit it, which direction."
She hit it perfectly, tying the game and giving the Bulldogs a boost that wound up carrying them to a much-needed win. It was her first goal of the season and eighth of her Georgia career.
"This game was so, so important for our season, No. 1, and then I also just think so important for morale," Staude said. "We've had so many games where we just couldn't get the win, couldn't dig out the win, even though we worked so hard for it. We've had five or six in a row like that, so it was just important for us from a morale and attitude standpoint."
Fifth-year midfielder Sage Glover delivered what proved to be the game-winner a few minutes after Staude tied it. After a ball was sent deep into the A&M box and an Aggie defender headed it high into the air, Glover collected it with her chest and then hit a soft, arcing volley with her right foot into the top right corner of the goal.
The strike from just inside the top of the box was hit a little on the outside of her foot for some inside-out movement toward the goal, and it unleashed a big celebration from Glover and her teammates. It was her first goal in live action — she scored on a penalty kick at Minnesota on Aug. 16 — since she suffered a broken right ankle early last season.
"It was nice. I don't think I've scored in a while, so I think it was just really nice to get back in front and celebrate with the team," Glover said.
Glover was constantly around the ball in the second half, and played what McAlpine said was her best game since the injury.
"Since her recovery, this by far was her most complete game," McAlpine said. "I thought the first half, it wasn't great, but she grew into the game. She lifted her game, she found pockets (of space), she found the ball, and she played really, really well."
Georgia (4-3-5) came into the game with a loss and three ties in SEC play. Friday's win could be the launching point for a strong second half of the conference schedule. The Bulldogs host Ole Miss next Friday, followed by a game at No. 5 Alabama on Oct. 15, the home finale against Missouri on Oct. 18, and then road games versus No. 11 South Carolina and Florida to close out the regular season.
"We feel like we should have gotten better results all the way through the season, from the beginning all the way to now, so to finally get a win in the league, to finally put the points on the board, inches us closer to where we want to be," McAlpine said. "Hopefully it will free them up to play with a little bit more energy and resolve in the games to come."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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