Soccer shuts out Incarnate Word in exhibition, 2-0

Friday, August 11

Austin, Texas

7 p.m.

University of Texas

0-0-0

Incarnate Word (Exhibition)

0-0-0

Incarnate Word

Texas

Soccer shuts out Incarnate Word in exhibition, 2-0

08.11.2017 | Soccer

Box Score

Longhorns get goals from sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen and junior midfielder Katie Glenn.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas got goals from sophomore Preseason All-Big 12 Team member Cyera Hintzen and junior midfielder Katie Glenn in knocking off Incarnate Word in an exhibition match at Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday night, 2-0.

The Longhorns out-shot the Cardinals by a commanding total of 30-8, including 16-2 over the opening 45 minutes, and managed a 12-3 discrepancy in shots on goal. UT also won the corner kick battle, 13-3. Hintzen's goal at the 75:21 mark proved the match-winner, while Glenn's tally in the 86th minute sealed the deal. The Burnt Orange & White also had two certain goals saved off the line by the UIW defense and hit the woodwork three separate times.

After the two teams felt each other out over the opening five minutes of play, the Longhorns finally established their offensive pressure during the eighth minute.

Off a UT corner kick, a scrum developed just outside the right edge of the six-yard box. Waiting to pounce on a loose ball was sophomore forward Tecora Turner, but her quick shot at 7:18 was saved off the line on a lunge by a UIW defender. A follow-up by redshirt junior Mikayla Flores was corralled for one of eight saves by Cardinal keeper Sydney Huntsinger.

The Texas pressure continued soon after as junior midfield transfer Amber Stearns received a corner and fired a drive from 10 yards out that tickled the outside of the left post.

The woodwork soon began taunting the Longhorns as a shot by junior midfielder Nakia Graham ricocheted off the underside of the bar at 15:14.

Just 1:17 later, a long feed up the middle found Flores in space in the middle of the 18, but her quick effort skied well over the frame.

Subbed in a match for the first time in her Texas career, redshirt freshman Cydney Billups brought immediate energy for the Horns, forcing a Huntsinger save and firing wide and high in the 23rd and 24th minutes.

UT had another great chance to secure a first-half lead during the 29th minute as Hintzen broke up the middle into the clear inside the 18. Huntsinger charged out off her line to smother a shot from 10 yards out.

Incarnate Word finally managed its first shot of the match at 30:25 off a Texas turnover as Karey Tylman tried her luck from 25 yards out but saw her effort drift wide right.

Approximately four minutes later, a long UIW feed over the top found an unmarked Andrea Cardenas 10 yards out from the left upright. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, her shot proved well high and wide of frame.

With 1:19 remaining in the opening stanza, it was junior midfielder Kayra Dollas' turn to hit the crossbar as her headed try rattled the woodwork. The ball bounced right back to the Orange, Calif., native, but her follow-up effort traveled wide left.

Incarnate Word managed some decent pressure over the first four minutes out of the locker room before Texas began re-exerting control.

At the 49:29 mark, sophomore defender Emma Jett had a header off a corner saved off the line by a UIW defender before being cleared away.

Shots by Stearns and freshman midfielder Emily Strouphauer were stopped at 66:13 and 66:37, respectively, as Texas continued searching for the scoreboard breakthrough.

UIW managed its initial corner of the match in the 69th minute and soon resulted in a pair of tries by Emily Halal that were blocked and wide of net.

The go-ahead goal finally came for the Horns at 75:21 as freshman forward Haley Berg played a through ball up the right wing to Hintzen. The Garland, Texas, native raced into space and beat the keeper into the left side of the netting from eight yards to make it 1-0.

Just 1:08 later, the Cardinals nearly tied the match as forward Brooke Hanson forced a Nicole Curry stop at the right post.

Looking for some insurance, the Longhorns located it at 85:34 as a pass ahead by junior defender Paige Hooper ricocheted off two players out in front. Glenn pounced on the loose ball and moved in 1-v-1 against the keeper before scoring from seven yards to improve the count to 2-0.

Over the final 1:37 of play, UIW forced a pair of Curry saves on Cardenas shots, but couldn't tickle the twine as Texas secured the exhibition clean sheet.

Texas Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Angela Kelly

On the match: Well, I think it's quick for everyone in the country. It's been seven or eight days (of preseason), you're trying to implement a lot of different things, so the expectations in terms of the execution, we're not going to be playing perfect. I thought we certainly looked explosive at times and created a ton of opportunities. I think in a match like that, when it's the excitement of the beginning of the season, we put one of those away earlier and everyone settles down. One of those goes in, two of those go in, that settles a lot of people. We did enough to create that, and I thought our killer instinct in the finishing department obviously needs to improve. That's something that we're continuing to work on. But that's more of a concern if you're not creating anything. So there were lots of things to tighten up, but I'm pleased after eight long days. It's a W, and we're going to take it in full.

On contributions from younger players: I thought our young players stepped in and contributed immediately. I think Emily (Strouphauer) won a ball, Haley (Berg) beat a player and slipped somebody in right at the very beginning, so that's exciting. It's been four long years for Haley to get on this campus and all of them have been committed to the University of Texas for a long time, so I think just being able to get that jersey on this evening is really the biggest accomplishment.

On the team's progress heading into next week: For us, the important piece was that we weren't really focused on executing at a high level of rhythm. What we were focusing on was cohesion and mentality, and I think that we definitely pounded that home with this group as a unit. As I've said every year, it's going to take every single one of us for the entire season. There's a lot more fight in us, which we've been working on bringing out. I'm delighted to have this group and see what it culminates into.