The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
West Virginia
Overtime goal lifts West Virginia over Texas
10.26.2012 | Soccer
Oct. 26, 2012
Box Score | Box Score 
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AUSTIN, Texas - Texas played scoreless soccer with the Big 12 Conference regular season champion for 97 minutes, but a goal from Kara Blosser at 97:06 lifted No. 19 West Virginia to a 1-0 overtime victory Friday evening.
The Longhorns' backline held strong until the ball was fired into the box by the Mountaineers' Mallory Smith. Kate Schwindel then flicked the ball away from freshman goalkeeper Abby Smith and found Blosser, who toed it past Smith for the victory.
At the beginning of the match, neither team wasted time on offense as each recorded a shot in the third minute. Then Frances Silva tallied the first direct scoring opportunity, at 3:20 off a Schwindel pass, but Smith made the save.
The Longhorns (7-10-1, 4-4-0 Big 12) took corner kicks at 5:37 and 10:22, but both were cleared to midfield by the Mountaineer defense. Neither team managed another shot until 16:09, when senior Hannah Higgins fired and West Virginia goalkeeper Sara Keane made the save. WVU (11-3-4, 7-0-1 Big 12) answered with a corner kick at 17:55. Bry McCarthy's service was punched out by Smith and cleared to midfield to end the threat.
With action centering around the midfield, neither team recorded another attempt until 35:09, when Silva missed high. Texas tallied the final attempt of the half as Higgins broke in on Keane in the 39th minute. Keane came off her line and made a sliding stop to record the save.
During the second half, the Longhorns took the first three shots of the stanza. Freshman Kelsey Shimmick had attempt blocked at 56:08 before a West Virginia hand ball gave UT a free kick in the 62nd minute about 19 yards away from the goal. Sophomore Sharis Lachappelle took a direct shot that was blocked. Lachappelle recovered the rebound and took another attempt, but it was saved by Keane.
Continuing to apply pressure, Higgins missed high at 66:19. The Mountaineers ended the run with a corner kick at 69:30. Silva had an attempt off the Schwindel service, but it was blocked before reaching Smith.
Texas senior Kristin Cummins nearly broke the scoreless tie in the 74th minute as she took a left-footed shot from 30 yards away that Keane jumped up and saved. Silva had the match's next attempt, at 81:44, as she missed high. It was then Schwindel's turn to try to break the draw as she broke in on Smith but missed high.
The Longhorns had a breakaway opportunity in the 87th minute as Higgins got in deep, sent the ball to the front of the goal and freshman Chantale Campbell took a pair of shots at a nearly open net. Keane dove back and made a save, Campbell corralled the rebound and fired again, but the second was blocked.
With neither team able to register a goal during the initial 90 minutes, it went into overtime. Blosser's shot was the first for either team in the overtime period and provided the winning goal.
The Longhorns return to action Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Central as the No. 4 seed for the Big 12 Championship in San Antonio. UT will take on fifth-seeded Oklahoma, which it topped 1-0 in Norman on Sept. 23.
Post-Match Notes
- The Longhorns finished the Big 12 campaign allowing just one goal in the first half, to TCU's Kelly Johnson at 17:26 last Sunday.
- The Longhorns' four league victories are their most since 2010.
- UT enters the Big 12 Championship as the No. 4 seed, its highest since entering as the second seed in 2007.
- Freshman Chantale Campbell started her second career match and first since the Virginia contest on Aug. 31.
- Freshman Kelsey Shimmick has played 359 minutes in the last five matches after recording 518 in her first 13. The Grapevine, Texas, product has started the last three contests.
