No. 21 Soccer nets second straight “golden goal” to top UTRGV, 1-0 (OT)

Friday, September 15

Austin, Texas

7 p.m.

University of Texas

8-0-0

UTRGV

3-3-2

Team	1	2	OT 2	Final F
UTRGV	0	0	0	0
Texas	0	0	1	1

No. 21 Soccer nets second straight “golden goal” to top UTRGV, 1-0 (OT)

09.15.2017 | Soccer

Box Score

The Longhorns outshot the Vaqueros in the match by a 28-5 count, including 18-3 over the second half & OT

AUSTIN, Texas – No. 21 Texas soccer's overtime magic continued for a second-straight match on Friday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium as sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen scored at the 97:13 mark to help the Longhorns (8-0-0) battle past a game UTRGV (3-3-2) squad, 1-0 (OT).

With the triumph, Texas registered the first 8-0 start in program history, while also managing to complete its season non-conference schedule undefeated and untied for the first time.

As of this release, UT remained one of just six unblemished teams in NCAA Division I women's soccer alongside UCLA, Radford, Murray State, LSU and Tennessee.

Hintzen's "golden goal" was the second straight for the Longhorns after redshirt freshman Cydney Billups finished off Northeastern with an overtime score back on Sept. 10. The occurrence marked the first time UT has won two overtime matches in a single season since the 2009 campaign when the Horns defeated Colorado twice in OT on Oct. 25 & Nov. 4. This was also the first time the Burnt Orange & White have won in OT during consecutive contests since defeating Illinois (1-0, 2OT) and New Mexico (2-1, OT) on Sept. 3 & 7, 2006.

The match-winning goal was Hintzen's team-leading fourth score of the campaign (third match-winner), boosting her squad-high point total to 12, and came off Billups' third assist of 2017. Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry made three saves between the pipes in earning her fifth-career clean sheet.

Texas dominated the match statistically, out-shooting the Vaqueros by a 28-5 total, including 7-3 in shots on frame, while managing a 12-1 lead on corner kicks.

The Longhorns took control of the contest from the very start possession-wise against a UTRGV squad that played one forward up top the majority of the night while dropping the remaining field players back in a defensive-style bunker.

Off a corner in the sixth minute, Texas managed the match's first shot as junior midfielder Kayra Dollas tried her luck from 25 yards out but fired high of frame.

Freshman midfielder Haley Berg got another opportunity started at 7:53 as her shot from 18 yards out was blocked. The ricochet traveled straight out to the right to redshirt sophomore forward Mikayla Flores. The La Verne, Calif., native struck a quick shot from a tough angle that forced the first of UTRGV keeper Kinga Szemik's six total saves.

Berg nearly got the Horns on the board during the 11th minute as her header from the right edge of the six-yard box drifted just outside the left post.

The Vaqueros lived to counter on this night, with UTRGV taking a cleared UT corner, turning upfield and playing a ball up the right wing to Andreya Barrera. The midfielder shot from a tough angle at 14 yards out, but it was saved easily by Curry.

The Longhorns continued to swarm on offense as junior forward Alexa Adams forced a stop via header at 20:05. Junior midfielder Katie Glenn followed 53 seconds later with a drive from a tough angle on the right side of the 18, but Szemik managed to kick-save the ball out of danger.

Things settled down over the remainder of the opening 45 minutes with Hintzen missing high at 32:59 while UTRGV midfielder Anna Hover shot wide left from 15 yards at 42:47.

Texas' shooting gallery continued not long out of the locker room with Flores striking the left side netting during the 52nd minute.

In all, the Longhorns would pepper the Vaqueros end with 16 shots over the final stanza. Dollas had a header go just high at 55:58, Adams forced a save from 18 yards out at 56:30 and Glenn fired wide at 57:40.

Hintzen came close to scoring during the 60th minute as her 13-yard shot on a quick turn, despite battling two defenders and a charging keeper, traveled wide right of the post by perhaps two feet.

UTRGV managed a solid stint of pressure from the 68th to 71st minutes, but UT's defense continued to keep the Vaqueros from getting off shots.

Sophomore defender Emma Jett just missed a Texas breakthrough at 72:56 as her lengthy attempt to chip the keeper from deep out on the left wing landed harmlessly on the top netting.

Texas threatened again in the 77th minute as freshman forward Emily Strouphauer bent a shot from 18 yards out that had to be pushed wide of the right post. Berg followed seconds later with a nine-yard effort that was saved by Szemik before ricocheting back out into the 18 where it was again cleared away.

Against the run of play, UTRGV posted a solid chance at the elusive goal in the 82nd minute as midfielder Gina Steiner found some space inside the 18. She fired a threatening shot, but again the Texas defense managed to rally and block the ball out of play for a corner.

The Horns registered the final chances of regulation in the 90th minute as late shots by Berg and junior midfielder Amber Stearns were blocked and wide left of frame, respectively.

Forced into overtime for the second-straight contest, the Burnt Orange & White continued to press against UTRGV's stout defensive wall.

Finally, at 97:13, Texas found the breakthrough it was searching for as Berg played a ball up ahead to Hintzen. The Garland, Texas, native played a quick give-and-go with Billups, inside the middle of the 18, before firing a shot home from eight yards out on the left side to finish the 1-0 victory.

Texas Post-Match Quotes

Head Coach Angela Kelly

On starting slow: I don't think that we started off too slow. I would have to go back and check to see how many shots we had in the first 15 minutes, but that's a really tough style to have to play against. When a team is sitting back, it gets frustrating. We were creating chances though. The shots were 28-5. There were 10 shots in the first half and then 16 in the second half. You have to be methodical. You have to be disciplined. You can't allow yourself to get frustrated. The longer a team stays in it, that's when things can happen. Let's cut to the chase, a win's a win. Let's credit our opponent. They were extremely organized and very well coached. They understood their system and their style. That was a tough team to beat today.

On UTRGV's stingy defense: I thought that they were well-organized, and there was good cover. I think we could have taken better care of the ball and made better decisions, but that's what happens when a team is bunkering back. The space centrally was taken away, and their keeper made big time saves. Point blank saves. Haley Berg had a tremendous game. She's very special. Cydney Billups, once again, in overtime was organizing herself to keep the ball in the box. And Cyera Hintzen, what can you say about her finish? Mikayla Flores, everybody, Kayra Dollas, in the backfield, Emma Jett coming off the side. Everybody works so hard and put in solid performances against a very frustrating style.

On this game being a 'trap' game before Big 12 play: No, I don't think (it was a trap game). It's just a credit to the organization of our opponent, and that's a fantastic test. Now if we face a bunker again we're going to have a great piece of video to teach from. That's not something that every single young lady grows up learning how to organize to beat. We talked a little bit about the tactics at halftime. I thought coming out in the second half we played it on a little bit better and had more patience. We just needed one. In the run of play, it was just going to take one. We're just really pleased that it came in overtime.

On Nicole Curry's performance: She's managing the games extremely well. She's dictating tempo and getting us in right away, whether it's setting play or laying it to a wide area or settling it with her feet. I think as a young goalkeeper, she's making a tremendous amount of fantastic decisions. We had Abby Smith, our legendary goalkeeper, who was in attendance tonight. We just want everyone to aspire to be like Abby, in the position, and I think that Nicole has stepped in this season and made some fantastic decisions.

On being undefeated in non-conference play: It's fantastic for our players. Just figuring out ways to win. It's not always attractive but our game is not always nice. It's a cruel game. To create the momentum to ensure that you have success is a challenge for every single team against all of the different styles. If you look at our eight opponents in our out-of-conference you're going to look at a lot of different styles. We were disappointed that we weren't able to have a litmus test against Cal. But every single test that we've given this squad, 17 underclassmen, they've risen to the occasion, and I couldn't be happier for them.

On adjustments before conference play: I think we just rest. We enjoy this win, and we rest and recover. Now the real season begins. Now it's a battle. It's what we're here for. It's conference play. And as a competitor it excites me, and I'm going to make sure that our squad is more excited than I am.

On the benefit of overtime experience: It's belief. It's momentum. If you put yourself in their shoes and if your only overtime experience was last weekend and you step on the field and it's overtime again your only experience is to win. What do we do in overtime? We win. They did it again today, and I'm really pleased with that.

Player Quotes

Sophomore Forward Cyera Hintzen

On the game-winning goal in overtime: I think we just wanted to come out early and get a goal and finish the game. We were trying to get forward and get a ball in the box to get an easy goal. We started to combine, and once we saw an open shot, we just took it.

On improving her skill set from last season: I think I definitely improved on combining with other players to get into the box. I think that's what's been helping me the most this season.

On being undefeated heading into Big 12 play: It feels great, but we just want to take it one game at a time. We look at the next game like we're playing the No. 1 team in the country, and we just go out there and play as hard as we can.

Freshman Midfielder Haley Berg

On remaining positive despite offensive struggles: I think we've just had to stick together as a team. The past two games have been like that. We work, work, work, and it just comes at the very end. We just work in practice to not stop, and we just keep going and come together as a team. Obviously, it gets frustrating for everyone, because we all want to score, but we know that if we keep working that it's going to happen no matter what.

On UTRGV's stingy defense: I think that we were just really focused the whole game. Our mentality never changed. I just think that we were unlucky, and then Cyera came in and finished it off for us. We were just unlucky at the beginning, but we just kept working. That's what Coach Ange taught us to do, so we just did what we've been practicing.

On their overtime mentality: I don't think you're ever comfortable. You don't ever want to get too comfortable. We just keep a positive mindset and keep the energy, and that's what's gotten us through these last two overtimes.

On fatigue playing a factor in overtime: I think we're really conditioned. Even when we get tired, Ange just tells us to let the ball move and do less running. I think that's what got us the goal, because whenever we start to play off of each other, that's when we get it every time.