The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Ohio State
Soccer battles No. 18 Ohio State to a 0-0 (2OT) deadlock
08.30.2015 | Soccer
Senior goalkeeper Abby Smith makes eight stops to preserve her second shutout of 2015
AUSTIN, Texas – In a back-and-forth Sunday afternoon affair at Mike A. Myers Stadium that included numerous scoring chances for a pair of evenly-matched teams, Texas (1-1-1) handed No. 18 Ohio State (3-0-1) its first blemish of the season by battling to a 0-0 (2OT) tie.
Overall, OSU out-shot the Longhorns by a razor-thin 18-17 count, but the Longhorns held a 4-1 combined shot edge over the two overtime periods. Senior goalkeeper Abby Smith was required to make eight stops in preserving her second shutout of the campaign, while junior midfielder Julia Dyche led UT with three shots (one on frame).
"For the first half we didn't take care of the ball," Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. "We gave the ball away too many times and we played tense. We talked about that at halftime, and I thought our playmakers did a better job of playmaking and turning and facing and attacking the widths. I think our corner kick total was 7-3 in our favor. Not always, but typically that shows field superiority and possession of the ball, although I thought Ohio State did a great job. 18-17 in shots, 7-3 corner kicks. If nothing else, it was a game that went back and forth, and I'm sure it was very entertaining for our fans."
It was Texas that made the first serious foray into Buckeye territory during the fifth minute as a corner was fed short to senior defender Ali Schmalz just off the right edge of the 18-yard box. The Hoffman Estates, Ill., product delivered a searching ball into the middle that just missed senior midfielder Lindsey Meyer's head before being cleared.
After Ohio State forward Lindsay Agnew attempted the first shot of the day via a blocked effort at 6:15, the Longhorns upped their offensive pressure over the next few minutes.
An OSU giveaway near midfield was quickly played ahead to Texas senior forward Kelsey Shimmick during the 14th minute. The Grapevine, Texas, native moved to the middle into some space and fired a strong 22-yard shot right into the waiting arms of OSU goalkeeper Jillian McVicker.
The Buckeyes missed a big opportunity to break the scoreless deadlock at 17:59 as a cross from the right wing was played towards the back post. Streaking in behind UT's defense was Sammy Edwards, and she left her feet for a diving header on frame. Smith came up with her first of a number of highlight-reel saves throughout the match to deny the OSU forward a sure goal.
Shimmick applied some more pressure near the left post during the 26th minute, feeding the ball to redshirt freshman Mikayla Flores. With the rookie battling her marker for control, the ball got away briefly in a scrum of players out front before being cleared over the end line for a corner.
With 5:54 left to go in the first stanza, Ohio State forward Nichelle Prince fought through the UT backline and uncorked a 15-yard drive from the right wing that Smith corralled.
Out of the halftime break, Texas managed one of its best scoring chances at 48:37 as graduate transfer forward Phoenetia Browne delivered a ball from the right wing ahead into the middle of the 18. Flores corralled the pass and fired a quick shot, but the drive was stopped by OSU substitute net minder Devon Kerr.
The Longhorns offense continued buzzing around inside the offensive third as freshman forward Alexa Adams tried her luck from 10 yards at 62:53 but couldn't get much on a shot.
Unfortunately for Texas, two great chances went for naught with 17:40 and 5:40 left on the clock as a pair of crosses into open areas inside the 18 resulted in whiffed shot attempts.
OSU's Agnew worked a 1-v-1 chance with 11:46 remaining, but Smith was lightning quick off her line to smother the attempt despite suffering a heavy collision on the play.
Smith again saved the day with just 26 seconds left in regulation as a pass up the middle found midfielder Nikki Walts in space. Faced again with a 1-v-1 situation, UT's keeper made a match-saving, point-blank stop to parry the ball away from danger.
Each team had just one solid chance during the first overtime with Adams firing wide right from 17 yards at 93:25 and Walts forcing a routine save on a 16-yard effort at 98:39.
Facing a scoreless dead-lock, the Longhorns bombed away from distance during the second overtime period with both Dyche and junior forward Jasmine Hart forcing stops on 25-plus yard attempts. Neither team could find the necessary break through, however, as the match ended in a 0-0 (2OT) tie.
Post-Match Quotes
Texas Head Coach Angela Kelly
On her thoughts of the match...
"This was a final four type weekend. We played the perennial national champs on Friday night and Anson [Dorrance] told me today that our goalkeeper was unbelievable, that Lindsey Meyer is one the best defensive midfielders that he's ever seen, and that our team battled for 90 minutes (on Friday night). Today, to turn around midday and play a very well organized Ohio State team with .creative, dynamic players in the attack. To go into overtime, I couldn't be more proud of my squad. Slowly but surely we're putting the pieces together to compete against the best in the country, and to be honest it's pretty exciting."
On what was the game changer in the match...
"I think when it gets down to an overtime situation and its 0-0 getting into the end of the half, especially on a Sunday in our game, it's mentality. Our players showed such tremendous heart today. It takes a huge gut check to be able to dig deep on a day like today. Ohio State took an extra day of rest, they played on Thursday. There's lots of factors...the organization piece, that's information that our players are retaining the day before the match, and most importantly executing. These types of things are really important as you move deeper into the NCAA tournament."
On what they need to work on as a team...
"Well we need to take advantage of our opportunities. On Friday night, we missed the ball at the back post, and they cleared the ball off the line. Now that might be your only chances in a high level match; you have to maximize your opportunity. Today we created opportunities and somebody needed to have the capacity to take that responsibility and put the ball in the back of the net for us. I think as we mature as a squad and young players get more confident, you're going to see that. And that's something we'll definitely be discussing. What a fantastic weekend for Abby Smith. I've said all along that she's the best goalkeeper in the country, and it's not just me thinking that anymore; I think it's obvious to everyone. Just like a midfielder can be a game changer, Abby Smith is an absolute game changer. She's a leader. She has U.S. National Team written all over her."
On looking forward to next weekend's matches...
"We're going to recover. That's really important for all of our players. We're going to have to be really well organized. We're playing UCLA who won a national championship a few years ago and UC-Santa Barbara is a fantastic team. So we get to recover and reorganize our shape and how we go forward and get a little more fluent in our attack."
Redshirt Freshman Forward Mikayla Flores
On her thoughts of the match...
"You know, we worked very hard up there, and it was unfortunate we couldn't get one, in but that's the best we could play out there. I think we'll get one eventually, so you just have to look at the bright side."
On missed opportunities...
"We had some at the top of the box, we had some good balls wide...our touches were off, but we'll get there eventually. We just have to keep working hard."
On what the offense needs to work on moving forward...
"Tactically and composure in the box. Those are the main elements. We just have to work on the tactical side of the game I guess. I think it has a lot to do with fatigue also. We were tired, and I think that messed with our touches. We're overall a really fit team, but we just have to keep our minds right when we get into the offensive third."
On Coach Kelly's postgame thoughts...
"She said that everyone gave 100% effort, and that's all you can ask for. Unfortunately we didn't get the win, but at the end of the day you just want to make sure everyone is giving everything they've got."
Senior Goalkeeper Abby Smith
On playing Ohio State...
"They're a good team. They're going to get their chances. I think our defense did really well. Every team has their chances, and that's why you have to come up behind your defense. I think they did a fantastic job."
On forcing the tempo throughout the match...
"It's more so to see if anybody's opened up. I know it's a hot day and sometimes you just have to catch them off guard, and that's basically what I tried to do."
On UNC head coach Anson Dorrance's comments about her being the top goalkeeper in the nation...
"It's really nice to hear, but there's always room for improvement. I think it's more of a team effort because I wouldn't be able to be where I am today without our team and the coaches and everything. They've definitely helped out a lot with my development and my mentality."
On how the coaches have helped her...
"They have helped me mature over the years. I think coming in, I had a lot of room to grow mentally and physically. I think maturity is a big thing to learn over four years. I think they've really helped me manage that, and then just helping develop my role with the team. I think the team has helped a lot too just because we learn from each other and move forward."
