Soccer shuts out Montana on Senior Night, 3-0

Friday, October 30

Austin, Texas

7 p.m.

University of Texas

8-5-4

Montana

8-10-2

Montana

Texas

10.30.2015 | Soccer

Box Score

Seniors Kelsey Shimmick and Brinkley Field score goals; Abby Smith sets the UT career shutout record

2015 Big 12 Championship Bracket

AUSTIN, Texas – Led by goals from senior forward Kelsey Shimmick and senior defender Brinkley Field, another goal by freshman forward Alexa Adams and the UT career record 30th shutout of senior goalkeeper Abby Smith's illustrious career, Texas (8-5-4) wrapped up its 2015 regular season campaign on a high note on "Senior Night" with a commanding 3-0 victory over Montana (8-10-2).

The Longhorns will now prepare for the upcoming Big 12 Championship to be held at Swope Park in Kansas City, Kan., over Nov. 4-8. Third-seeded Texas will face sixth-seeded Kansas in the quarterfinal round on Wed., Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. CT live on the Big 12 Digital Network. The winner of that match will face the winner of second-seeded Baylor and seventh-seeded TCU in the semifinals.

"Credit to Montana, a great squad," Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. "I was telling their coach thank you so much for coming. It was in tough conditions. It is always really hard to come in and play at somebody's home on Senior Night. I have a ton of respect for Mark [Plakorus], and they played great.

"It was fitting for Brinkley [Field] to get her first career goal. Lots of feel good and lots of things we can reflect back on. As a coach, I just want us to play better every time. We have a heck of an event coming up, and we're going to get healthy and move forward to our match in Kansas City on Wednesday."

Texas out-shot the Grizzlies by a 18-9 count, managed an 8-3 advantage on shots on goal and led 6-3 on corner kicks.

Smith was forced to make just two saves in managing her record breaking shutout, picking up her 30th blanking to pass former Longhorns net minder Dianna Pfenninger's mark of 29 established from 2005-08.

Offensively, Adams registered her sixth goal and fourth assist of the campaign, both team highs, and recorded a point for the sixth consecutive match. That point-scoring streak ties the Lancaster, Calif., native for the second-longest in Texas history with Kylie Doniak, Niki Arlitt, Kelly McDonald and Kylee Wosnuck.

For Shimmick, the goal was her third of the season, moving her into double figures for her career at 10. Field's goal off a corner kick that bent directly across the line at 80:58 marked her first career goal and points in a Burnt Orange & White uniform.

Texas started all 10 of its seniors on "Senior Night" with pre-match honoree Sydney Shutter managing the contest's first shot for either team at the 4:32 mark on a blast that traveled wide from 27 yards out.

The senior theme continued for Texas soon after as a goal kick by Smith past midfield was headed forward by a Montana player. The ball dropped right at the feet of Adams and her quick flick traveled right into the path of a sprinting Shimmick. The Grapevine, Texas, native raced in 1-v-1 on Montana keeper Kailey Norman and beat her into the right side netting to grant the Longhorns a 1-0 lead just 6:38 into the contest.

Looking to answer, Montana forward Dani Morris tried her luck from about 15 yards out in the right side of the 18, but her effort drifted wide right at 18:24.

The Grizzlies began to possess the ball better, earning a pair of corners in the 27th and 32nd minutes. UM could only manage a single high shot on the latter, however, by defender Chanelle Pederson from 18 yards out.

Texas earned its second corner of the match at 40:28 with junior midfielder Julia Dyche playing the ball towards the back post. Freshman midfielder Kayra Dollas leapt over the crowd and headed a ball on frame that forced Norman to make a stop.

It took the Longhorns just 6:43 of the second half to double their lead to 2-0. Redshirt freshman forward Mikayla Flores made a strong run up the right wing, and near the end line, crossed to the middle. Waiting on the doorstep was Adams, and despite being marked, the Lancaster, Calif., native flipped a quick right-footed volley into the twine from seven yards out.

Senior midfielder Lindsey Meyer decided to try a shot from distance and nearly made it three scores for Texas in the 54th minute as her ambitious try from 35 yards out rattled hard off the crossbar before bouncing over for a goal kick.

Montana came desperately close to getting on the board with 28:11 remaining as Morris unleashed a drive from 12 yards out. Smith managed a deflection of the blast, but the ball popped up and over her, falling near the mouth of the goal. Senior defender Ali Schmalz was stationed in the right place at the right time, leaping high to head a sure goal off the line and out of danger.

The Grizzlies were at it again with 23:36 left as midfielder Mackenzie Adams forced another Smith save on a shot from the middle of the 18.

Off a corner in the 66th minute, UM continued pressuring offensively as consecutive headers from defender Ashlee Pedersen and Jenna Castillo traveled wide of frame before being deflected away by Texas players.

With 16:53 left, Montana's defense gave the ball away deep in their own territory and junior forward Jasmine Hart pounced on it. The Haltom City, Texas, product made a quick move towards goal and fired, but Norman managed to deflect the ball away to her right.

Texas sophomore midfielder Morgan Murphy launched an attempt from outside the top of the 18 with 15:17 remaining, and her try forced Norman to leap and punch the shot over the crossbar.

The Longhorns finally sealed the victory at the 80:58 mark off a corner as Field's delivery into the middle curled around the keeper and traveled over the line with a pair of UM defenders trying in vain to clear it away.

The Grizzlies managed one last offensive gasp, but a shot from Carlee Bates ventured wide right as Texas wrapped up a commanding "Senior Night" triumph.

Texas Post-Match Quotes

Head Coach Angela Kelly

On how important it is finishing the regular season with a clean sheet: Well, it is the most important thing, because if you have a clean sheet then that means you'll never lose a game. It was Senior Night, there was a ton of emotion and certainly for me the senior class means so much to me as an individual and so much to this entire program. Senior days are always tough, and everyone wants it for everybody else. The entire team wanted that record for Abby Smith. I'm grateful that she achieved that and now we can move on, but there's no other more deserving goalkeeper in the history of this program. Abby and I have become very close, and I am just so happy for her that I can say that Abby Smith holds that record.

On two seniors scoring goals tonight: I mentioned that to the team. After I mentioned the congratulations to Abby, I also made a point of saying that for the rest of the time Abby holds that record, Ali Schmalz: you're going to be sitting wherever you are and everybody's going to understand that Abby Smith doesn't have that without you. And that's how badly the team wanted it for Abby. She's meant so much to this program, but Ali Schmalz put her body on the line (to save a goal off the line).

Senior Forward Kelsey Shimmick

On scoring a goal on Senior Night: It was just an awesome feeling, especially getting the first goal in like a couple minutes. It was just awesome.

On what led to the team's fantastic performance: I mean, I think the whole season has led up to this kind of performance, especially going into Big 12s. It was a very emotional night, so we had that edge. And then I guess we just came out and let the seniors play for each other, and then the underclassmen played for us. So it just all came together, and we had fun.

On looking back on Big 12 play and how the team can use that experience heading into Big 12 Championship play: We had to battle our way through it. There have been tough losses and a couple unfortunate ties, but we hung in there, and we're still going at it. Now it's time to get to Big 12s and win it.

On how to prepare for the Big 12 Championship: We just have to look back at our Big 12 season and look at how we played against our opponents. We'll look at the games that we either tied or lost and see what we can improve on, and then we'll look at the matches that we won to see what we stuck to best.

Senior Goalkeeper Abby Smith

On her feelings on Senior Night and setting a new career shutout record: The record is a great thing. It's nice to make history, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without the girls on the field in front of us. Ali Schmalz came up huge this game; she made some really crucial saves. I think she deserves huge credit to me being able to have my name on the record. It's nice that my name is up there, but at the same time I wouldn't be able to have that without them.

On what it meant to her to be on the field with her nine senior teammates on Senior Night: Senior Night is huge. It's an emotional time and nobody ever wants it to end, and I think that's a big part. So tonight we just have to embrace it and just really enjoy each other on the field, just because this is our home and you can't take that away.

I think it's one thing for people to be like "Oh, well next year is senior year" and you push it off and you don't realize it when it arrives. But once it's your senior year, it goes by so fast. So it's just embracing it and going with it and really taking it for what it is, because a lot of people take it for granted and you can't do that when it's your senior year because you never know what will happen.