Soccer’s season ends in 2-1 NCAA loss to No. 12 Notre Dame

Friday, November 21

College Station, Texas

3 p.m.

University of Texas

11-8-4

Notre Dame

14-5-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Texas	1	0	1
Notre Dame	1	1	2

Soccer’s season ends in 2-1 NCAA loss to No. 12 Notre Dame

11.21.2014 | Soccer

Box Score

Longhorns complete year at 11-8-4 overall after NCAA Second Round loss to Fighting Irish

Texas-Notre Dame NCAA Postmatch Quotes

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Despite a valiant Texas (11-8-4) effort on a rainy, gray Friday afternoon at Ellis Field in College Station, Texas, a goal by Karin Muya at the 85:05 mark completed a Notre Dame (14-5-2) comeback as the No. 12 Fighting Irish rallied past the Longhorns in NCAA Second Round action, 2-1.

With the defeat, the Texas senior class consisting of Sharis Lachappelle, Cierra Grubbs, Julie Arnold, Brooke Gilbert, Whitney Jaynes and Ava Vogel completed its time on the Forty Acres. The standout group helped power the Longhorns to 42 overall victories, three Big 12 Championship semifinals and most importantly, back to the NCAA tournament for the second time in the last four years during a momentum-building 2014 campaign.

Junior midfielder Lindsey Meyer's career single-season best fifth goal of the year granted Texas the lead just 19:16 into the match. Lachappelle was credited with her third assist of the season by delivering a perfect feed off a corner kick. Junior goalkeeper Abby Smith made five saves while playing all 90 minutes in the contest versus the Fighting Irish.

The teams each registered 13 shots in the closely-contested match, while UND had the edge in shots on goal at 7-3. Each squad managed three corner kicks in the contest.

"I think that was a hard fought battle," Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. "Credit to Notre Dame, there was execution at the end, and that was what it was going to take. The shots were even 13-13, and corner kicks 3-3. Great goal by Lindsey Meyer early in the match. It was a battle. Our midfield battled with one of the top midfields in the country. I'm really proud of our senior class, and the strides that this program has made in the short time we've been here. We are going to use this as a platform to go forward."

After two early Notre Dame corners resulted in zero UND shots, Texas made some noise at the other end off a set piece. During the fourth minute, sophomore midfielder Julia Dyche took UT's initial corner, delivering a perfect feed into the middle of the 18. Meyer provided a small preview of what was to come by leaping high over the crowd to head a ball towards goal that was blocked. Off the rebound, sophomore forward Jasmine Hart directed a header of her own that forced the first save of the match by Notre Dame keeper Kaela Little.

Having survived the UT pressure on the defensive end, Notre Dame immediately threatened inside its own offensive third at 5:21. Provided the ball inside the left edge of the 18, Fighting Irish forward Karin Simonian launched a quick shot that ricocheted off the right post before being cleared away by the Texas defense.

After a couple of quick shots by junior forward Kelsey Shimmick forced one UND save, Texas was the first to break through on the scoreboard at 19:16. Off the second of consecutive UT corners, Lachappelle delivered a perfect ball from the right corner towards the far post where Meyer was stationed in a crowd. Despite tight marking, the 6-0, Coppell, Texas, native leapt to direct a perfect header into the twine from seven yards out and make it 1-0 Horns.

Not long after the restart, Longhorn defender Arnold broke up a clear goal-scoring chance for the Fighting Irish from about 14 yards out. The Round Rock, Texas, product raced over quickly and slid in front of forward Lauren Bohaboy at 21:03, deflecting a shot attempt out of play for a corner.

UT's old enemy again came into play at the 25:53 mark. Junior midfielder Chantale Campbell hit a lob over the UND defense from just inside the top of the 18 that clanged off the woodwork. A follow-up try from Lachappelle was blocked and cleared away to conclude the UT threat.

After a flurry of Texas offensive pressure, Campbell again came close to scoring from the right wing in the 34th-minute. Unfortunately, her right-footed shot drifted just wide of successfully nestling in the top right corner.

Some solid Fighting Irish pressure finally paid dividends for UND at 42:39 as Muya made a strong move towards the right end line and crossed to the middle. Waiting out in front was Anna Gilbertson, and she managed a quick volley from nine yards out that eluded Smith to dead-lock the score at 1-1.

Both teams pressured early out of the locker room, but it wasn't until the 59th-minute that a team had a solid scoring chance. After a Notre Dame foul out on the left side, Gilbert delivered a feed towards the back post. Dyche came leaping in from nowhere to drive a volley towards goal, but it was blocked away out front.

Notre Dame finally managed its first two shots of the second half at 63:32 and 64:26. On the first, a cross from near the right end line found Taylor Klawunder near the left post. Tightly marked by a UT defender, her sliding shot traveled just wide of the upright. The second drive from the left wing by UND's Muya was easily corralled by Smith.

With 19:17 left a foul just outside the 18 put Texas in a tough spot as Bohaboy stepped up to take a dangerous free kick. Her shot was low and to the left of UT's wall, but well seen by Smith as the Plano, Texas, native routinely corralled the roller.

The Fighting Irish continued to up their pressure late in the second half, and it finally paid off at 85:05. A long pass from the left wing proved just inches too high for a Texas defender as her headed clearance attempt went backwards up the right side. The ball dropped to the feet of Muya, who settled it, pivoted and fired a shot from a tough angle that just snuck inside the left post for a 2-1 lead.

Texas tried desperately to answer the late score, but shots from Shimmick and Jaynes traveled wide right and left, respectively, as Notre Dame completed the 2-1 comeback.