The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Friday, September 29
Austin, Texas
7 p.m.
University of Texas
vs
Texas Tech
No. 8 Soccer preview: vs. Texas Tech [Sept. 29, 2017]
09.28.2017 | Soccer
The Longhorns look to continue their unbeaten run by hosting the rival Red Raiders at 7 p.m. CT
Texas Game Notes vs. Texas Tech
Soccer Match 11: Texas Tech (8-2-1, 1-0-1 Big 12) at No. 8 Texas (10-0-0, 2-0-0 Big 12)
Time: Friday, Sept. 29 – 7 p.m. CT
Location: Austin, Texas (Mike A. Myers Stadium & Soccer Field)
TEXAS CLEAR BAG POLICY: Please note that there is a new Clear Bag Policy in effect for fans when attending Texas Athletic events in 2017. For more details, please visit this LINK
Tickets: LINK
Promotions: Admission for all Texas students is FREE; The first 500 fans through the gates will receive a free Texas soccer scarf, courtesy of Texas Athletics; It's also "TEXAS TRADITIONS NIGHT" as fans can have their pictures taken with "Smokey the Cannon" and BEVO XV.
Live Stats: LINK
Television: The match will be broadcast live on Longhorn Network (accessible through WATCHESPN with certain cable providers) with Glenn Davis (play-by-play) and Kate Markgraf (analyst) on the call. Fans can watch via this LINK.
Radio: None available
Free Kicks:
- Texas enters Friday's match against rival Texas Tech with a 15-6-4 all-time advantage in the series and a 8-2-3 mark at Mike A. Myers Stadium. UT is 3-0-1 over the last four meetings against the Red Raiders and has won the last two match-ups held in Austin. The contests between the two are usually close with 15 of the 25 all-time meetings having ended in either ties or one-goal decisions (11 of the last 12 meetings).
- 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 11 of Texas' 17 total goals, 13 of 19 total assists and all 10 wins & seven shutouts in goal (sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry)
- UT's current 10-match winning streak marks the second-longest in program history, just one from equaling the program record of 11 straight victories established from Sept. 21-Oct. 28, 2001.
- The Longhorns enter the Texas Tech match having recorded three consecutive shutouts for the second time this season while holding opponents scoreless over the last 317:16 of match action (just 101:24 from tying the school shutout record of 418:40 established from Nov. 2-11, 2001). The program record for consecutive shutouts is four straight accomplished from Oct. 12-24, 2008. This marks the second lengthy shutout streak for the Horns this season after going 362:47 without allowing a goal from Aug. 25-Sept. 10.
- 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 10 contests, the Longhorns are a perfect 8-0 in one-goal decisions with victories over Rice, Little Rock, North Texas, Sacramento State, Northeastern, UTRGV, Iowa State and No. 5 West Virginia.
- The Longhorns sky-rocketed up the major polls this week, following their big win over then-No. 5 West Virginia, climbing to No. 7 in the Soccer America and No. 8 in both the United Soccer Coaches and Top Drawer Soccer polls. The No. 8 rating by the UCS is the highest for Texas in that rating system since coming in at No. 8 in the then-NSCAA rankings back on Sept. 30, 2008.
- Texas sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Curry currently leads the Big 12 Conference in shutouts with seven over her first 10 career matches played and rates second in the league in goals-against-average at 0.39. Curry has also entered the Texas single-season top 10 for clean sheets, tying former Longhorns Abby Smith (2012), Alexa Gaul (2011), Dianna Pfenninger (2006, 2007) and Jaime Strong (1994) for fifth.
- Texas' current team goals-against-average of 0.39 rates well 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.
- Texas' offense has managed to register more shots on goal than its opponent in ALL 10 MATCHES so far in 2017. UT leads in the category, 75-27, for an average margin of 7.5-2.7 shots on goal-per-match.
- Sophomore Nicole Curry's clutch save on a point-blank shot by No. 5 West Virginia forward Michaela Abam at 88:16 to preserve Texas' 1-0 lead over the Mountaineers came in at No. 8 on ESPNW's "Top 10 Plays of the Week" for Sept. 27. With Texas shockingly in front on Cyera Hintzen's late goal at 87:40, Curry's stop just 36 seconds later prevented an immediate equalizer on the way to Texas' first win over a top five team since 2010.
- 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.
- UT's consecutive overtime winning "golden goals" to beat Northeastern (redshirt freshman forward Cydney Billups) and UTRGV (sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen) marked the first time UT 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. The occurrence is also the first time the Burnt Orange & White won in OT during consecutive contests since defeating Illinois (1-0, 2OT) and New Mexico (2-1, OT) on Sept. 3 & 7, 2006.
- For the Longhorns, scoring the match's first goal seems to be a key to victory in 2017 as the Longhorns are 8-0 when putting the initial score on the board and 4-0 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 10 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 97 MATCHES (both occurrences happened at TCU on Oct. 17, 2014 & Oct. 28, 2016) and only once over the last 52 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.
- Texas sophomore forward Cyera Hintzen was chosen as one of 11 players on the annual Preseason All-Big 12 Team, the league office announced. The Garland, Texas, native is coming off a 2016 campaign that saw her tally two goals on the way to earning the program's fourth all-time selection as the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. She was one of just three sophomores to make the preseason squad. Hintzen has wasted no time making her impression felt in 2017 with the match-winning goal and an assist during the 2-1 season-opening victory over Rice (Aug. 18).
- Dorothy once said there's no place like home. The Texas soccer squad takes that line from "The Wizard of Oz" to heart as in five-plus seasons under coach Angela Kelly, the Longhorns have posted a 38-17-6 (.672) record in the friendly confines of Myers Stadium and are 33-12-5 (.710) over the last 50 home matches. Texas owns an all-time home record of 135-43-19 (.733) in now the 19th year (1999-present) at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field. In the 20+-year history of Texas Soccer, the Horns have registered an overall record of 157-55-21 (.719) in all home games.
Players Mentioned
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