Three Aggies Score as New Mexico State advances to CUSA semifinals
MIAMI, Florida - History repeats itself. On Oct. 19 in Las Cruces, NM State tallied a 4-1 victory over Jacksonville State in a rainy, oft-delayed contest. 18 days later, the Aggies opened the 2024 CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship with a 4-1 win over the Gamecocks behind goals from Meredith Scott, Loma McNeese and Shila Rasoul.
Jacksonville State showed their offensive aggression early, earning a corner kick just over a minute into the contest.
Through the opening 10 minutes of action, the Gamecocks had posted a trio of shots, with NM State keeper Valerie Guha swatting away a pair of the attempts.
The Crimson & White responded with a ball played out wide to 2024 Second Team All-CUSA honoree Loma McNeese, who challenged her defender one-on-one before laying in a perfect cross along the middle of the 18-yard box to junior Meredith Scott, who found the back of the net with a rising right-footed strike across her body.
This became Scott’s sixth goal of the season, trailing only Loma McNeese in goals scored (10). With the assist, McNeese tallied her 17th career helper, surpassing teammate Bianca Chacon for the program record.
Sending the game to the break with NM State on top 1-0, the Aggies trailed the Gamecocks in shots (13-5), though held the advantage in saves (8-2) and corner kicks (5-4).
The action took a chippy turn to begin half number two, as Jax State was called for a pair of yellow cards in the opening eight minutes of play.
After assisting on Scott’s game’s opening goal, the duo of McNeese and Scott linked up again in the second half, though this time it was Meredith Scott firing a cross into McNeese who was in position to redirect the deflection by Jax State goalie Poppy Bastock and give the Aggies a 2-0 edge.
Just over two minutes later, a corner kick by Brooke Schultz rocketed into the goal box, finding the head of Shila Rasoul who veered the ball towards the right foot of Loma McNeese to tap the ball in and put NM State ahead 3-0.
First Team All-CUSA selection Naroa Domenech put the Gamecocks on the board in the 78th minute, her team-leading ninth goal of the season.
The Aggies were not done scoring however as sophomore forward Shila Rasoul launched a ball from well beyond the penalty area over the head of Jax State goalie Bastock to give NM State a 4-1 lead.
This became Rasoul’s first goal since Aug. 18, against in-state rival New Mexico.
2024 Third Team All-CUSA selection Valerie Guha notched an outstanding game in the goal, facing 19 shots on the day (second-most of the season; 21 against Gonzaga) and recording seven saves – the eight game this season the redshirt sophomore has tallied five or more saves.
With a pair of goals on the day, McNeese also broke the NM State game-winning goals record with eight in her career, while tying the program record for multi-goal games with four; three of which have come during the 2024 campaign.
The four goals scored by the Aggies tied a season-best, last achieving four goals against the same Jacksonville State team in the regular season on Oct. 19.
QUOTABLES
Meredith Scott, on her one goal, one assist game: “It was super exciting! We knew what we needed to do this first game. The celebrating is out the window and we’re ready for the next.”
Meredith Scott, on her breakout campaign: “I feel like the team’s momentum has helped me so much. The energy, the fight to win each game has helped me. Everyone’s putting me in good spots!”
Up Next
The Aggies will face the #2 seeded Liberty Flames in a 2023 championship game rematch on Friday, Nov. 8. First kick is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT. For complete coverage of NM State Soccer, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@nmstatewsoc) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women’s Soccer).
