The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Friday, November 17
Durham, N.C.
4 p.m.
University of Texas
vs
Clemson
No. 18 Soccer Preview: NCAA Second Round vs. Clemson [Nov. 17, 2017]
11.14.2017 | Soccer
The Longhorns are set to continue their NCAA run against the Tigers in Durham, N.C.
Texas NCAA Second Round Media Supplement | Updated NCAA Bracket
Soccer Match 20: NCAA TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND
Clemson (10-5-3, 3-4-3 ACC) vs. No. 18 Texas (14-3-2, 5-2-2 Big 12)
Schedule:
Fri., Nov. 17 Clemson vs. #4-seed TEXAS 4 p.m. CT – WATCH ESPN/ESPN3
Location: Durham, N.C. (Koskinen Stadium)
Tickets: LINK
NCAA Bracket: LINK
Television: Friday's match will only be broadcast online through WATCH ESPN/ESPN3.
Free Kicks:
- Texas, a No. 4 national seed, is continuing the program's 12th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Friday's contest against Clemson in Durham, N.C., marks the sixth time that the Longhorns have advanced as far as the NCAA Second Round and the first time in the round since losing to No. 12 Notre Dame, 2-1, in College Station, Texas, back during 2014. UT is 2-2-1 all-time in NCAA Second Round matches, having lost its last two such contests in 2008 (at No. 3 Portland) and 2014 (vs. No. 12 Notre Dame).
- The Longhorns enter Friday's match-up with a 1-1 all-time mark against Clemson. UT prevailed on the road in Clemson, S.C., by a 1-0 score back on Sept. 5, 2003, while the Tigers returned the favor by the same score in the most recent meeting between the two foes in Austin, Texas, back on Aug. 27, 2004. This will be the first meeting at a neutral site or during the postseason.
- Sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen was rewarded for posting just the second two-goal effort in a NCAA match in Texas history by being tabbed to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (Nov. 14) for the second time this season. The Garland, Texas, native now leads the Longhorns with nine goals and tops the Big 12 Conference with six match-winning goals in 2017.
- The Longhorns have put together one of the top seasons for wins in program history, currently owning a 14-3-2 overall record. In fact, the Burnt Orange & White have tied the 2001 Texas squad for the fifth-most wins in a single season at UT and could move into a tie for third with a Friday NCAA win over Clemson. The school record for victories is 18 established by the 2006 Longhorns during an 18-4-3 campaign.
- It's almost hard to believe but Texas soccer has trailed for only 70:16 of 1804:20 of total match time over 19 contests in 2017. The only times the Longhorns have been behind on the scoreboard this season are for 26:59 against Little Rock (UT eventually rallied back to win 2-1), for 36:56 against Northeastern (UT eventually rallied back to win 3-2 in OT), for the last 6:19 at Kansas (UT lost 2-1) and the final second of both the 1-0 (OT) loss to No. 22 Oklahoma State and the 2-1 (OT) defeat against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinal.
- Texas is an incredibly young team with just two seniors (that pair has combined to play in two matches in 2017) and a total of 18 freshmen or sophomores on the roster. Those freshmen and sophomores have combined for 19 of Texas' 28 total goals, 21 of 29 total assists and all 14 wins & 11 shutouts in goal (sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry).
- Fans and opponents better watch out for Texas' dynamic duo of sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen and freshman midfielder Haley Berg. The duo has combined to score 15 of Texas' 28 goals, registered nine of 29 total assists and managed 39 of the Longhorns' 85 total points (46%) this season.
- Overtime has become the norm over the latter half of the season as Texas has ventured to at least one extra session during nine of its last 13 overall matches dating back to Sept. 10. In all, Longhorns players have been on the pitch for 94:20 of overtime action this season. That's more than an entire additional regulation match.
- Texas' current team goals-against-average of 0.60 rates just ahead of the program record of 0.64 established back during 2008 when that Longhorns squad allowed just 14 total goals all season (21 matches) with a school record 11 shutouts. UT has allowed 12 goals and tied the school record with 11 shutouts over 19 matches during 2017.
- The Longhorns have already played overtime on nine occasions (5-2-2) this season, marking the most OT sessions in a single year in program history. Texas' five overtime victories are also tied for the most (2004 Longhorns) in a single season in program annals.
- Texas sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry is currently tied for the lead in the Big 12 Conference in shutouts with 11 over her first 19 career matches played and rates second in the league in goals-against-average at 0.60, just 0.04 behind the leader. Curry has also leapt up the Texas single-season top 10 for clean sheets, shattering the old school record for single-season shutouts (nine) previously held by Longhorns Abby Smith (2014) and Dianna Pfenninger (2008).
- After struggling in close matches during the 2016 season (just 2-8 overall in one-goal contests and 0-3-1 in OT), Texas has gotten off to a roaring start in such match-ups in 2017. So far through 19 contests, the Longhorns are a sparkling 11-3 in one-goal decisions with victories over Rice, Little Rock, North Texas, Sacramento State, Northeastern, UTRGV, Iowa State, No. 5 West Virginia, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Baylor.
- Texas' offense has managed to register more shots on goal than its opponent in 14 OF 19 MATCHES so far in 2017. UT leads in the category, 129-80, for an average margin of 6.8-4.2 shots on goal-per-match.
- The Longhorns defense has been stout throughout the 2017 campaign, but Texas managed a ridiculous streak in the middle of Big 12 play, keeping the opposition from registering a single shot on goal over a stretch of 194:37 that included portions of matches against Texas Tech, Oklahoma and TCU.
- Texas won 25% (7-of-28) of the Big 12 weekly awards handed out over the 10 weeks of the 2017 soccer season. UT won four consecutive Offensive Player of the Week awards (Sept. 12-Oct. 3) for the first time in program history, while the seven total honors were the most in a single season in program history. Sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen owned three Offensive Player of the Week accolades and freshman midfielder Haley Berg won two Freshman of the Week honors, while junior midfielder Katie Glenn (Offensive) and sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry (Defensive POW) earned one each.
- Texas' 3-2 (OT) win over Northeastern (Sept. 10) was noteworthy in that it marked the first time the Longhorns had allowed at least two goals in a match and won since beating Dayton back on Aug. 17, 2012, 3-2 (OT). That covered a stretch of 105 total matches between the occurrences, and UT had been 0-25-2 when allowing two or more goals over that span. With a 3-2 (2OT) victory over Texas Tech (Sept. 29), Texas turned the trick twice in just five matches in 2017!
- For the Longhorns, scoring the match's first goal seems to be a key to victory in 2017 as the Longhorns are 12-2-1 when putting the initial score on the board and 5-1-1 when leading at the halftime break.
- Texas has had plenty of heroines to start the season as five different Longhorns (Cyera Hintzen, Haley Berg, Katie Glenn, Amber Stearns and Cydney Billups) have all registered match-winning goals over the opening 19 contests of 2017. During the ENTIRE 2016 campaign, only four different players managed match-winning tallies.
- Texas' defense is particularly stingy, having allowed more than two goals in a single match ONLY TWICE OVER THE LONGHORNS' LAST 106 MATCHES (both occurrences happened at TCU on Oct. 17, 2014 & Oct. 28, 2016) and only once over the last 61 matches. In fact, an opponent has scored more than two goals in a contest only five times since head coach Angela Kelly took over the program (three times during her first season on the Forty Acres in 2012).
- With her goal just 25 seconds into the season-opening, 2-1 victory over Rice (Aug. 18), freshman midfielder Haley Berg became the first Longhorns player to score in her first collegiate match since now senior forward Olivia Brook knocked home a goal during the 44th minute of her debut in a 2-2 (2OT) tie versus Arizona State back on Aug. 22, 2014.
