The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
10-0-0, 2-0-0Big 12
#5 West Virginia
8-3-0, 1-1-0Big 12
No. 17 Soccer stays unbeaten with a 1-0 upset of No. 5 West Virginia
09.24.2017 | Soccer
The win was Texas’ first over a Top 5 team since topping No. 5 Oklahoma State back on Oct. 22, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas – A strong Longhorns defensive effort and sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen's stunning 88th minute goal combined to power No. 17 Texas soccer (10-0, 2-0 Big 12 Conference) to a 1-0 upset of No. 5 West Virginia (8-3, 1-1 Big 12 Conference) on a hot & humid Sunday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
The Longhorns win proved notable for many reasons, as the triumph over the Mountaineers: Marked the first Big 12 loss for West Virginia since 2014, as the Mountaineers entered Sunday's match 22-0-2 over their last 24 league contests; Served as just the second Big 12 loss ever for West Virginia as the Mountaineers entered the match 36-1-3 all-time in league play; Represented the first Big 12 road loss for WVU since 2014 as the program entered the day at 10-0-2 over its last 12 league road tilts; Was Texas' first win over a Top 5 team since defeating No. 5 Oklahoma State, 1-0, back on Oct. 22, 2010; Marked the UT program's first victory over West Virginia since 2004 (was 0-5-1 over that span).
UT remains the only unbeaten and untied team in NCAA Division I women's soccer, has now posted three consecutive shutouts for the second time in 2017 and has held opponents scoreless over the last 317:16 of match time.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry registered her seventh clean sheet of the campaign, moving into first in the Big 12 in the category and into a tie for fifth all-time in Texas single-season history for shutouts alongside former Longhorns Abby Smith (2012), Alexa Gaul (2011), Dianna Pfenninger (2006, 07) and Jaime Strong (1994).
For Hintzen, the goal was her team-leading fifth of the season, her fourth match-winning tally and marked the first time any Longhorns player had scored against the Mountaineers since 2013. Junior midfielder Katie Glenn was credited with her third assist of the year by threading the key pass to Hintzen from near the left end line.
Early on in the contest, it was West Virginia that managed the initial shot of the contest at 2:33. Off a cross in from the left wing, All-American forward Michaela Abam attempted a quick contested shot from inside the 18 that popped up and over the bar.
With the Mountaineers having the run of play early on, Texas' offense began settling into the contest during the seventh minute. Hintzen did solid work up the left wing and crossed a ball towards the back post, but the feed proved a little too tall for a teammate to get off any shot.
During the 10th minute, WVU had a great chance as defender Bianca St. Georges found some rare space behind the UT backline. A through ball hit her in stride as she raced in towards the right post. Texas sophomore defender Atu Mshana raced back, however, and quickly cut down the angle to deflect a shot away.
Glenn got the Longhorns on the board shot-wise at 13:26 as her lengthy effort from 26 yards was blocked out front.
With both offenses finding more space as the first half wore on, redshirt sophomore Mikayla Flores made the first of many threatening forays into WVU territory during the 31st and 36th minutes. First, the La Verne, Calif., native beat a defender for a ball out on the left wing and fired a shot from 10 yards out right into the arms of Mountaineer keeper Rylee Foster. Secondly, she located some space out on the right side and tried her luck from 21 yards out, but her try landed on the top of goal.
Over the last 3:01 of the opening half, West Virginia managed strong pressure through two shots on goal. On the second, Heather Kaleiohi fired a line drive from 18 yards right into Curry's waiting arms.
Out of the locker room, WVU quickly earned a corner and got a headed shot high of frame from midfielder Alli Magaletta at 45:56.
From that point, the Texas offense took control, managing a 6-1 shot advantage over the opening 25 minutes of the second stanza.
Flores got the assault started at 49:59, battling her way between two West Virginia defenders to find some space to fire a shot on frame from 14 yards out.
Hintzen had a 17-yard shot blocked at 51:17 and just missed high over the bar with a running effort at 52:19.
After a great battle up one of the wings by UT redshirt freshman forward Cydney Billups, the Greenwood Village, Colo., native delivered a ball to the middle. Flores corralled the pass, moved middle and drove another contested effort just a foot over the crossbar.
With the Longhorns offense swarming, freshman forward Haley Berg received a pass and moved deftly to her left, forcing another Foster save at 63:47 on a left-footed try from 12 yards.
As things began to open up down the stretch, West Virginia finally found some offensive life at 71:20. Off a cross from the right wing, Jade Gentile leapt above the crowd and got off a header from the middle of the 18 but it traveled wide left.
Texas came desperately close to finding pay dirt at 72:57 off a corner as junior midfielder Kayra Dollas' header from seven yards out at the left post was saved off the line by a WVU defender before being cleared.
Right back the other way, WVU's Abam forced another Curry stop as her shot from a tough right side angle was forced over the end line for a corner.
After coming so close throughout the second half and with time running short, the Longhorns finally broke in front at 87:40. Glenn moved up the left wing towards the end line before turning and passing a ball between two defenders. Hintzen took control just outside the top left corner of the six-yard box and unleashed a quick shot that beat Foster into the right side netting for a stunning 1-0 lead.
Forced to chase an equalizer with just 2:20 left on the clock, the Mountaineers came frighteningly close to tying the match at 88:16. Abam gained possession of the ball inside the six-yard box and fired a point-blank effort that Curry somehow managed to smother between her legs just inches outside the goal mouth.
West Virginia had one final opportunity to get back even at 89:16, but forward Sh'Nia Gordon's late effort traveled high of frame as Texas sealed a huge victory.
Post-Match Quotes
Head Coach Angela Kelly
On the team win: It was a battle. Every team in our conference is great. We're going to get that kind of battle every Friday & Sunday. West Virginia is a very storied program. They're one heck of a team and incredibly well-coached. I thought we battled. Both teams had their chances, and it was a great finish.
On the team's mentality: We just talked to the players during halftime and told them that it was going to be a battle of wills. Both teams were going to go after it, but it was going to be about how bad they wanted it. West Virginia has already beaten the No. 1 team in the country (Penn State), they were the No. 5 team in the country and they were going to go after it in the second half. It was 0-0, 45 minutes left, and it was just a battle of wills. I'm just really pleased with how the team responded. I've said it a million times, but they're a young squad and to find that type of resiliency against a really mature team, a team that made the Final Four last year, I'm just really pleased.
On the team's progress over the last few years: It takes time. Nobody wants to speak it. Coaches don't have 'patience' in their vocabulary. It takes time, and it takes talented players. I think our staff, our program and all the players before this squad have built the foundation. We're continuing to put in the work. It's only just begun. We're still taking it one game at a time. The most important game, after you have a big time win, is the next one. We're going to enjoy this for today and get focused for Friday.
On the team's defense: They played fantastic. Atu Mshana's soccer IQ is through the roof, and she had a tremendous game. Her, Chelsea (Surpris), Paige (Hooper), Emma (Jett) all had big games. It was a grind. That was 90 minutes of them having dynamic players running at them. It was a collective effort. Mshana organizes us in the defensive backfield, and they battled but they did have their hands full.
On what separates this team from past years: I think it's the perseverance and the resiliency. It's youthful talent, committed attention to detail and a collective unity. They really came together as a group this spring. They didn't want to accept how things panned out last season, and they went after it this spring. They became better students of the game. They're trusting the staff, and they're believing. It takes perseverance and resilience through adversity. That's why I referenced the players of the past, because they had to go through that in order for us to be where we are.
Player Quotes
On making the save at 88:16 to secure the win:
Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry: They had been doing it all game, coming off blocks and then popping it in, so I felt ready for it. So, when she crossed, I just moved over to stay in line with the ball so when the shot came I was there.
On expecting tough shots from West Virginia:
Curry: I did feel like one was coming. Right after a score, the first thing I always say is "0-0". We still need to keep playing hard. I did feel it coming, but thankfully, we had enough energy to keep it out.
On the team win:
Curry: I'm extremely proud. This is my first season playing. The #RAMPED mentality is so embedded in our players, and we're excited to keep moving forward and keep learning. This win is definitely big for us, and we're really excited to keep going.
On maintaining composure at the end of games:
Curry: No matter how many games you play, that pressure is always going to be there. I think for me it's really important to stay focused, and that's what I tell myself. Just stay focused and do the little things right.
On building on this win:
Curry: We're just going to keep doing the same things we've been doing. Working hard during practice, taking our recovery seriously and doing the right things on and off of the field.
On the defensive pressure:
Curry: I'm always happy with our defense. I think we've all come a really long way. We really focused on staying calm and keeping the ball. When it comes down to the last two pressured-filled minutes, our mentality doesn't change. I was really happy with the way we played.
On her game-winning goal:
Sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen: I was actually kind of stunned that I got the ball in the box with so much time because usually people are collapsing really quickly. We also had a lot of really great opportunities, and I just knew that this one had to go in the back of the net. I was pretty confident that it was going to be on frame, and it was just a really great feeling with such little time left.
On the team's progress thus far:
Hintzen: It's a great feeling. We want to be 10-0-0. We just need to keep focusing on the next game. Now we have to focus on [Texas] Tech and be prepared for Friday. And I think it was huge that everyone stepped up today. We need everybody, even the people that aren't getting a lot of minutes. Everyone really stepped up for this game and gave a lot of energy.
On the team's relentless mentality:
Hintzen: One of the biggest things Coach Kelly preaches in practice is that there's never too little time. We just really focused on that. Even if there's only 20 seconds left, we can get a goal in 10 or six seconds. Coach just keeps pushing us to compete every second of the game, and I think that's been working out well for us.
On providing a spark off the bench:
Redshirt sophomore Mikayla Flores: One of our main emphases in practice is energy. Not just in games but in practice as well. When you bring that energy on to the field, it can be a real game-changer. Anyone, not just me, who comes in and brings that spark for us is big time. And to have fresh legs out there when they don't have fresh legs is also huge. That's what I was trying to focus on, as well as anyone else who's coming off of the bench.
On the team's progress over the last few years:
Flores: It's unbelievable. Personally, I haven't been able to play. I missed two seasons. And to see our team grow from the time that I was a freshman to now, as a redshirt sophomore, it's incredible. To come out here and beat West Virginia. I don't even know the last time they lost a game in-conference, but we're taking it one game at a time. Just because we beat them doesn't mean we're going to come out any different next weekend.
On the team's mentality shift for Big 12 play:
Flores: We made a collective decision as a team to not change our mentality for any game. I think that's what's gotten us to this 10-0 record. We've treated every game equally. Whether it's West Virginia or an out-of-conference team, we've treated them all the same, and I think that's why we've been successful. We focus on our own style of play and don't really worry about the other team.
Team Stats
Hintzen, Cyera (5)
Assisted By: Glenn, Katie
pass from left inline to middle, finish
87:40
