Georgia Opens SEC Tournament Against Texas A&M Sunday

(7) Georgia (7-5-6, 3-3-4 SEC) vs. (10) Texas A&M (8-8-2, 3-5-2 SEC)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 3
Time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Location: Pensacola, Fla.
Site: Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex

MEDIA INFORMATION
TV: SEC Network (Alex Perlman, PxP / Marion Crowder, Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
X: @UGASoccer
Instagram: @UGASoccer

Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: Texas A&M leads 7-3-0
In Athens: Texas A&M leads 2-1-0
In Bryan-College Station: Texas A&M leads 4-1-0
Neutral: Tied, 1-1-0
Last Meeting: Georgia – W, 3-2 (2OT) (Nov. 2, 2023 – Pensacola, Fla.)
Current Streak: W2
GF / GA: 11 / 18

QUICK KICKS
Season Finale
Georgia, now ranked 35th in the NCAA RPI standings, begins the defense of its SEC Tournament title against Texas A&M Sunday in Pensacola. Georgia received the No. 7 seed in the tournament bracket via a tiebreaker with Kentucky, who tied the Bulldogs, 1-1, on Sept. 26. Texas A&M earned the No. 10 seed as the top team in a three-way tiebreaker with LSU and Alabama. The winner of the Georgia-Texas A&M match will face second-seeded and No. 5-ranked Arkansas in the first quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 12:30 p.m. The Bulldogs faced both the Razorbacks and Aggies en route to last year's first SEC title in program history.

Texas A&M leads the all-time series, 7-3, but Georgia has prevailed the past two seasons, including a dramatic winner from Croix Bethune with 27 seconds left in last year's SEC Tournament semifinal. Georgia is 14-19-4 all-time in the SEC Tournament, with Sunday being the third postseason matchup against Texas A&M. Under coach Keidane McAlpine, the Bulldogs are unbeaten (4-0-1) in SEC Tournament matches.

Bouncing Back
Georgia looks to bounce back from a disappointing 1-0 loss to Texas last Sunday in its SEC regular season finale in Athens. Texas standout Lexi Missimo recorded the lone goal of the match, coming in the 61st minute assisted by Amalia Villarreal. Nicole Vernis set a season-high six shots taken, putting two on frame in a full 90-minute effort, while Jordan Brown record five or more saves for the 12th time this season.

Brown's Best
Junior goalkeeper Jordan Brown has provided consistent excellence for Georgia throughout the season, earning the No. 29 spot in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100 Player rankings. Brown was the third-highest ranked goalkeeper in the country and highest-ranked in the SEC. The Las Vegas native was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after shutting out Tennessee with six saves on Oct. 18. During the Auburn match, she became the fifth keeper in program history to reach 100 saves in a season. She also ranks fifth all-time in program history with 19 shutouts, along with leading the league in saves per game and total saves, while ranking third in save percentage – all three rank in the top 20 nationally as well.

Strong Slate
Throughout his early tenure in Athens, Keidane McAlpine has made it a point to challenge his team with a difficult non-conference schedule. This year's schedule is no different with the slate currently ranking as the ninth-toughest nationally (second in the SEC) with a current .629 win percentage, bolstered by eight opponents ranked top-30 in RPI. In 2023, the Bulldogs were the only Power 5 school to play a team from each of the other four leagues. This season, they are one of five with the distinction, joining Texas, Iowa, Michigan, and Baylor.

Dawg Bites

Last Thursday's draw at Auburn clinched Georgia's third unbeaten SEC road slate in program history (2007, 2022, 2024). In the McAlpine era, Georgia is 11-2-7 in road and neutral matches against SEC opponents.
Georgia has displayed a great ability to play with the lead this season, holding a 7-1-2 record when scoring first in a match, with Mississippi State being the lone loss in such matchups this season.
Against Auburn, graduate forward Tori Penn made her 85th appearance for Georgia, now tying her for eighth in program history. Penn is the Bulldogs' active career leader in appearances, shots, and shots on goal, while ranking second in points and goals.
Sophomore midfielder Devon Winters has made a name for herself in conference play. After not tallying a point in her first 33 appearances, the Atlanta native has posted four assists in conference play, including back-to-back contests with an assist.

Up Next
If victorious, Georgia will face No. 5 Arkansas in a rematch of last season's SEC Tournament final on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 12:30 p.m. EDT on SEC Network. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m.

Georgia Opens SEC Tournament Against Texas A&M Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Croix Bethune

Jordan Brown

Tori Penn

Nicole Vernis

Devon Winters