Soccer gets Alexa Adams brace in downing Iowa State, 2-1

Friday, October 9

Austin, Texas

7 p.m.

University of Texas

5-3-4, 2-1-1Big 12

Iowa State

5-9-0, 0-5-0Big 12

Team	1	2	Final F
Iowa State	0	1	1
Texas	0	2	2

Soccer gets Alexa Adams brace in downing Iowa State, 2-1

10.09.2015 | Soccer

Box Score

Freshman forward posts her first single-match, two-goal effort on scores at 59:58 and 79:05

AUSTIN, Texas – The first single-match, two-goal effort from freshman forward Alexa Adams helped Texas (5-3-4, 2-1-1 Big 12 Conference) climb back in the win column on Friday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium as the Longhorns topped Iowa State (5-9-0, 0-5-0 Big 12), 2-1.

The Lancaster, Calif., native's brace marked the first for a Longhorns player since then-rookie forward Olivia Brook scored twice during a 6-0 victory at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi back on Sept. 5, 2014. By virtue of the two scores, Adams also tied senior midfielder Lindsey Meyer for the team lead with three goals this season.

"She's (Adams) been creating opportunities for herself all season," Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. "That's what forwards are supposed to do, put the ball in the back of the net. I was really pleased for her and just excited the team could celebrate two great goals."

Freshman forward Mikayla Flores was credited with her first career assist on Adams' initial score while senior forward Kelsey Shimmick picked up her second helper of the campaign on the eventual match-winner. Freshman midfielder Kayra Dollas and Meyer led the UT squad overall with six and five shots (two each on frame), respectively. Senior goalkeeper Abby Smith was called upon to make just three saves, raising her Big 12-leading stop total to 70 through 12 matches.

Texas out-shot the Cyclones by a commanding 23-13 total, led 7-4 in shots on goal and managed a 12-3 advantage on corner kicks.

The Longhorns registered the game's initial scoring chance off a corner kick during the second minute as junior midfielder Julia Dyche's feed to the middle found the head of Meyer. The Coppell, Texas, native headed a ball that appeared to be going just wide of the upright, but ISU's defense cleared it out of danger anyway.

The Cyclone offense managed its first shots at 4:46 and 6:15 as forward Klasey Medelberg tried her luck from about 28 yards out in the middle and from a tough angle on the left side, respectively. The first drifted well wide, while Smith easily corralled the latter for her first save.

The Longhorns came close to nabbing an early lead in the ninth minute as a cross by Adams from the left wing dropped into an area just outside the top of the six. Dollas out-leapt the crowd and headed a promising shot, but the ball ventured just outside the right post.

Flores did impressive work for the Horns in the 18th minute, just missing breaking the scoreless tie. The La Verne, Calif., native first attempted a 10-yard shot from a tough angle on the left wing, but it hit off the side netting. Just seconds later, she raced in up the middle of the pitch and fired a drive from 15 yards out that might have scraped the outside of the left upright.

UT managed another strong flurry during the 22nd minute as a header by Meyer from 12 yards out and immediate follow-up efforts by both Flores and Dollas from the middle of the 18 were all blocked.

The Longhorns had a quick 2-on-1 counter attack develop during the 32nd minute as Shimmick and Flores roared up the right wing. The lone ISU defender back attempting to combat the assault did a solid job pressuring Shimmick, as the Texas forward couldn't get a lot on an eventual shot and Cyclone keeper Lindsey Hendon routinely corralled it.

Iowa State managed perhaps its best scoring chance of the opening half at 36:23. A cross from the right wing was played into the middle to the feet of Lindsay Frank, but her quick volleyed effort under pressure from 10 yards out traveled well over the bar.

Out of the locker room, the Cyclones did a solid job pressuring early on with their top chance coming at 49:52 as defender Emily Steil fired a dangerous shot from just inside the top of the box that was blocked.

The scoreless deadlock was finally brought to an end at the 59:58 mark. Flores took possession of a ball on the right wing, moved to the middle near the top of the 18 and fired a shot that rattled off the crossbar. The rebound bounced straight back out to Adams on the left side of the box. She controlled the ball in space and launched a quick try that eluded Hendon before settling into the top right corner of the twine for a 1-0 Longhorns lead.

The Burnt Orange & White advantage nearly doubled just a few minutes later as a header off a corner near the right post by Dollas was saved off the line by an ISU defender before being cleared.

The Cyclones would eventually equalize in the 67th minute, however, as a ball played up the middle found Koree Willer in space. She raced in on frame in a 1-v-1 situation giving Smith no choice but to charge off her line in an attempt to break up the play. On the resulting collision, the UT keeper was called for a foul inside the box and shown a yellow as a penalty kick was awarded. Willer calmly stepped to the spot and finished what she started, tying the match at 1-1 on a blast into the left upper 90.

Adams struck again at 79:05, becoming the first Texas player to score a brace in a match since Brook did so against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 5, 2014. The eventual match-winning play started on a goal kick from Smith that landed well inside ISU's defensive end before being headed by a Cyclone. The ball traveled straight to Shimmick, and the Grapevine, Texas, native headed it forward to the feet of Adams who fired a strike from 24 yards out into the net to hand Texas back the lead at 2-1.

From there the Longhorns worked to run time off the clock, but Iowa State had one final chance to tie things up. With just 2:50 remaining in regulation, ISU midfielder Taylor Wagner unleashed a shot. Smith was up to the task, however, as her third and final save preserved the important league triumph.