The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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Texas A&M
No. 25 Soccer ties No. 6 Texas A&M, 1-1, in State Farm Lone Star Showdown
10.29.2010 | Soccer
Oct. 29, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 25 University of Texas Soccer team closed out the regular season with a 1-1 double overtime tie against the sixth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown Friday night out at Mike A. Myers Stadium. The Longhorns are now 11-4-4 and finish Big 12 play with a 4-3-3 mark.
Texas will be seeded fifth in the league's championship and face Oklahoma at 11:30 a.m. Central on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.
The Aggies got on the board first in the 12th minute when Alyssa Mautz sent in a long cross from the far left side that bounced off the cross bar and back into the net.
Texas didn't wait long to respond though firing back just 57 seconds later in the 13th minute when junior Kylie Doniak fired a shot from the top of the box right at A&M keeper Kelly Dyer. Dyer dove to make the save but the ball bounced off her bands and into the back of the net. Senior Kirsten Birkhold picked up the assist having sent the ball through the A&M line to Doniak.
The Longhorns continued to pressure the Aggies and controlled the ball especially during the final five minutes of regulation where they were able to create four corners.
Texas owned the shot advantage during the first overtime, 2-0, and was able to thwart what looked to be like a breakaway chance for the Aggies during the waning seconds when Whitney Hooper was chased down in the box by Nina Frausing Pedersen. Pedersen sent the ball out of bounds as the clock ran out sending the game into an extra set of minutes.
During the second OT, the play picked up and Texas continued to create opportunities. The Longhorns best look came when sophomore Hannah Higgins slipped a ball to freshman Gabby Zarnegar in the middle of the six-yard box. Zarnegar took a shot but it was blocked by the Aggie defense.
With tonight's tie, both teams earned a half-point for their respective schools in the annual State Farm Lone Star Showdown. This marks the fifth year of the Showdown, the all-sports athletic competition between Texas and Texas A&M. In order to win the Showdown, a school must acquire 10.0 points during the year.
Texas begins its postseason run at 11:30 a.m. Central on Wednesday, Nov. 3, when they face fourth-seeded Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.
POST MATCH NOTES
-Texas finishes the regular season with an 11-4-4 mark and 4-3-3 record in Big 12 play.
-Texas finished fifth in the Big 12, its highest finish since 2007.
-Texas held the Aggies to their first tie of the season.
-Junior Kylie Doniak recorded her team-leading sixth goal of the year.
-Doniak has now recorded either an assist or goal in Texas' last six matches and has been the Longhorns lone goal scorer over the last three games.
-Texas is one of just eight teams this season to hold Texas A&M to just one goal.
POST MATCH QUOTES
Head Coach Chris Petrucelli
On what this game says about the team: We're playing well. I thought we played really well tonight. We really limited the amount of chances we gave up. The goal was a little unfortunate, it bounced off two posts before it ended up in there and Alexa [Gaul] just lost the ball. But it was a hard fought game, both teams played very well. They're a quality team, and I thought we were even with them.
On the defense: They played well. Lucy [Keith] and Nina [Pederson] in the center were really good dealing with both Nora [Skelton] and Whitney [Hooper] who are really dangerous players. Those guys on the outside are one-on-one a lot, Erica [Campanelli] and Sophie [Campise], both did a good job.
On what this game says about the team going forward into the postseason: Well, we're ready. We've talked all year long about getting better. We showed tonight that we've gotten better and we're ready to go.
On goals for the tournament: First, we have to keep everybody healthy. We're going in there with the thought of winning it. You go into a tournament to try to win the championship, so that is our mindset.
On what needs to be done differently against Oklahoma: We had some chances in that game. I'd take that same game over, because I feel like we'd finish those chances. We have to keep pressure on them, we have to keep the ball forward, and jump on chances when we get them.
Junior midfielder Kylie Doniak
On how this game played out: It's a little bit frustrating, because we would have liked to win obviously. We felt like we played pretty well tonight, and we definitely had a chance to get another goal. So, we're going to work hard and hopefully beat them the next time we see them.
On scoring out of the attacking midfield position: I just knew after they got that goal, we just needed to get shots off. We just needed to test their keeper and see what she's about. You can't score unless you shoot, so I wanted to get something on it and it went in.
On their goals for the tournament: One game at a time. We want a ring, we want a championship. We're here to win, and I think we have a great chance to do so.
On what they did today that they would like to see in the tournament: I think we kept the ball really well at our feet. And that is a big part of our game, we like to pass and get in on the ground. I think we did a really good job switching the field and getting the ball on the ground, it was good passing tonight.
On what they will do differently against Oklahoma in the tournament: I think we just need to get our mindset right. Sunday was a little tough for us, we could have won the game. We just need to come out this week with a different mindset - focused, determined, play the same style of soccer we have been, I think we'll be okay.
