The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Little Rock
Soccer settles for a 0-0 (2OT) tie against Little Rock
09.20.2015 | Soccer
Longhorns stretch their unbeaten streak to a season-best four matches heading into Big 12 play
AUSTIN, Texas - Despite out-shooting the Trojans on a blisteringly hot Sunday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium by a commanding 29-6 count, Texas (3-2-3) was forced to settle for a 0-0 (2OT) tie against Little Rock (5-4-1).
With the dead-lock, the Longhorns stretched their unbeaten streak to a season-best four consecutive matches heading into the start of Big 12 Conference play at nationally-ranked West Virginia next Friday.
The Longhorns controlled the majority of the action, managing a 13-2 shot disparity over the opening 45 minutes and a 7-1 combined total spanning the two overtime periods. UT also led the Trojans in both shots on goal (8-4) and corner kicks (10-3) during the contest.
Redshirt freshman forward Mikayla Flores (eight shots, three on goal) and freshman midfielder Kayra Dollas (six shots, three on goal) led the Texas offense, while senior goalkeeper Abby Smith made four saves in earning her 27th career shutout between the pipes. The Plano, Texas, native now stands just three blankings from breaking Dianna Pfenninger's school career record (29 shutouts).
"We created opportunities, and (what Little Rock did) was play a classic bunker game," Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. "You need to be able to combine. I have said this over the last little stretch, we have to organize and put the ball in the back of the net. We are creating plenty of opportunities; 29-6 in shots and 10-3 in corners, and their goalkeeper made eight saves. Now we want to make sure that we make one of those count."
The first shot of the match for either team didn't come until Texas managed a blocked drive from freshman forward Alexa Adams at the 13:43 mark.
Once that first attempt had been launched, the shot floodgates opened for the Longhorns.
A 17th minute cross from the left wing by Adams found Flores racing into the top of the six-yard box. The La Verne, Calif., native tried a running volley, but Little Rock goalkeeper Sara Small dove to deflect the ball out for a corner on the first of her eight saves.
After Dollas headed a ball from 12 yards out that was saved, the Trojans finally managed their first shot on a blocked chance from a bad angle on the right side by midfielder Fali Garuba at 23:05.
Little Rock wouldn't register another shot until a lengthy blocked effort from forward Quin Wilkes at the 42:39 mark as UT launched wave after wave at the Trojan defensive end.
One of the best chances of the match for the Horns came during the 25th and 26th minutes as a flurry out front resulted in a blocked Flores attempt from 12 yards out in the middle. Off the deflection, the ball dropped at the feet of Adams facing a tough angle on the right side. The Lancaster, Calif., product shot quickly, but her effort hit the right side netting for a goal kick.
With time running short in the opening stanza, Texas senior midfielder Chantale Campbell (36:21) and Dollas (38:47) forced two more Small stops, but the teams were forced to head the halftime break scoreless.
Little Rock had the best of things early on in the second half as a UT turnover led to a quick shot from 26 yards out at 51:47 by midfielder Caitlin Eddy. Smith again demonstrated her tremendous ability between the pipes, diving fully extended to her left to tip the ball out along the end line before being cleared away.
Two more ULR attempts from midfielder Claire Palmer (52:41) and Eddy (60:55) also forced Smith saves before the momentum swung back in favor of the home team.
Smith almost got the Longhorns on the board at 68:53 as one of her patented shots off a free kick from just inside Texas' offensive end traveled maybe a foot over the bar.
The best chance for either team over the remainder of regulation play came with 10:42 left as Campbell crossed a ball from the left wing into the middle of the 18. Flores again came jaunting into the area, fought off her marker and launched a shot that unfortunately traveled right into the keeper's waiting arms.
Last ditch efforts from Flores and Campbell proved wide right and blocked in the 87th minute, respectively, as the teams required overtime in an attempt to settle things.
Texas' offense controlled both extra sessions with Flores again forcing a key stop on a left-footed attempt from 16 yards out at 99:13.
With just 1:29 remaining in the final OT, UT senior midfielder Lindsey Meyer forced Small into action off a corner as the Coppell, Texas, native out jumped the crowd out front and headed a ball on frame. Little Rock's keeper fought through the chaos out front to punch the ball away from danger as the two squads had to settle for the 0-0 (2OT) dead-lock.
Post-Match Quotes
Texas Head Coach Angela Kelly
On is this one of those matches where you give all of the credit to the goalkeeper…
"Here at Texas, we are going to get everybody's great game, their best game. Their goalkeeper did a heck of a job. I feel like I have been saying that for awhile now. That is what happened last week as well. That is where our attention to detail has to be maximized, and out of those 29 shots and those eight saves, what can be different about that? Could we have concentrated a little bit better? I thought we wasted a lot of opportunities with off-balance shots and poor decision making with the final pass at times. And they wanted the game to be slow, so we needed a way to keep the ball on the field to play and keep it."
On if that style of play is something they will work on more in practice…
"Yeah, I mean that is the style of play, and that is the way we want to play. Our players know that. The game of soccer can be very cruel. I am not displeased with the effort, I just need the execution to be more focused and figure out how to put the ball in the back of the net. That is part of the game and we need to do it better."
