The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
North Carolina
Preview: Soccer hosts No. 5 North Carolina [Aug. 28, 2015]
08.27.2015 | Soccer
The Longhorns welcome in the perennial national title contenders for the 2015 home opener
Texas Game Notes - vs. No. 5 North Carolina
Match #2: No. 5 North Carolina (2-0-0) at Texas (1-0-0)
Time: Friday, Aug. 28 – 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Austin, Texas (Mike A. Myers Stadium & Soccer Field)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/texas/wsoc/
Television: The match will be broadcast live on Longhorn Network (accessible through WATCHESPN with certain cable providers) with Glenn Davis (play-by-play) and Tony DiCicco (analyst) on the call. -- WATCH LIVE: LINK
Radio: All UT home matches can be heard free via an internet audio stream at: http://texas.leanplayer.com/ - Lincoln Rose will call the action for Texas home matches.
PARKING: Parking will be an issue on campus this weekend with construction causing road closures and delays, but will be available in Lots 37 and 38 as well as Manor Garage. A full diagram of the construction area and available lots is HERE. To secure parking at the best prices, please purchase a permit before heading to the Forty Acres through the online Click and Park system. Onsite parking in Lots 37 and 38 and Manor Garage is CASH ONLY.
Promotions
Friday night's match is "Texas Traditions Night." Longhorns soccer alumni will be recognized at halftime as part of alumni weekend festivities, and there will be a post-match autograph session with selected UT players.
Free Kicks:
- On Sun., Aug. 23, during a win over Miami (FL) in Charleston, S.C., senior goalkeeper Abby Smith launched what is normally a harmless punt from the top of her own 18-yard box. A few seconds later, the ball took a high bounce over UM's keeper and rolled into the twine for the UT net minder's third career goal and first match-winning score. Video of the play was quickly cut and distributed via social media during the team's trip home and soon became a sensation, picked up by numerous major outlets including ESPN (play was No. 10 on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays for Sunday), ESPN FC, FOX Sports, USA Today and Yahoo Sports. The first (of several) postings of the video to the official Texas Soccer Twitter account had been viewed almost 3,000 times as of Wednesday. For her efforts, Smith also received an honorable mention selection from Top Drawer Soccer as part of its "Team of the Week" for Aug. 21-23.
- Texas enters Friday's match-up against No. 5 North Carolina with a 13-7-1 all-time record in home openers and is 2-0-1 in such contests under the guidance of head coach Angela Kelly. The Longhorns have faced the Tarheels in home lidlifters on two previous occasions, losing 1-0 back on Aug. 31, 2001, and falling 9-2 on Aug. 25, 2000.
- After last Sunday's victory over Miami (FL) in Charleston, S.C., the Longhorns now own an 8-12-0 record against Atlantic Coast Conference opposition and are 0-4 all-time against North Carolina. UT sits at an even .500 versus the Big Ten Conference, possessing a 16-16-1 mark against the league, while Sunday's meeting will mark the program's first-ever against Ohio State.
- Over the three-season tenure of head coach Angela Kelly, if Texas scores a goal, there's a pretty good chance UT will win the match. Since starting 2012, the Longhorns are 32-8-5 in contests where they tickle the twine at least once and were 11-3-2 in such situations last season.
- UT will head into its match-up against No. 5 North Carolina on Friday with a 36-74-12 record all-time against ranked opponents. Under Kelly's guidance, the Horns are just 3-10-3 in such contests, but have defeated at least one rated foe in each of her first three seasons on the Forty Acres. Most recently, Texas knocked off No. 6 Texas Tech on Sept. 26, 2014, in Austin, 1-0 (OT).
- Several Longhorns picked up honors last weekend as senior goalkeeper Abby Smith, senior midfielder Lindsey Meyer, junior midfielder Julia Dyche and redshirt freshman forward Mikayla Flores each earned All-Tournament selections at the Charleston Nike Classic.
- The Longhorns are coming off an 11-8-4 season in 2014 that saw the squad reach the Big 12 Championship semifinals and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 (eventually falling to No. 12 Notre Dame, 2-1, in the second round at College Station, Texas). Texas lost six valuable seniors off last year's squad including three very experienced senior defenders in Brooke Gilbert, Whitney Jaynes and Julie Arnold and All-Big 12 midfielder Sharis Lachappelle.
