No. 17 Soccer blanks Kansas on Friday, 2-0

Friday, October 19

Austin, Texas

7 p.m. CT

University of Texas

12-2-2, 4-2-1Big 12

#RV Kansas

10-4-2, 4-3-0Big 12

Kansas

Texas

10.19.2018 | Soccer

Box Score

Senior midfielder Kayra Dollas and sophomore midfielder Haley Berg each scored goals in the shutout

AUSTIN, Texas – Make it 10 consecutive home victories at Mike A. Myers Stadium for No. 17 Texas soccer (12-2-2, 4-2-1 Big 12 Conference) as goals from senior midfielder Kayra Dollas and sophomore midfielder Haley Berg powered the Longhorns to an important 2-0 league victory over Kansas (10-4-2, 4-3-0 Big 12 Conference) on a rainy Friday night.

With the victory, the Burnt Orange & White moved into a tie for third (13 points) in the updated conference standings alongside TCU and Texas Tech with two league matches still left to play.

Dollas scored her second goal of the season on a penalty kick at the 24:35 mark to boost Texas to an early lead, while Berg's goal was her fifth of 2018 and effectively sealed the victory for UT during the 86th minute. Senior forward Alexa Adams and senior midfielder Katie Glenn were credited with their sixth and seventh assists of the year, respectively, on Berg's score. Junior goalkeeper Nicole Curry was forced to make seven saves in registering her 15th career solo shutout between the pipes.

UT was out-shot by KU in the contest by a 12-9 count, including 7-3 in shots on goal, but held a 7-5 advantage in corner kicks.

It took just 2:42 for the match to take its first interesting turn as a handball call on a Texas defender on the right edge of the 18-yard box resulted in an early penalty kick opportunity for the Jayhawks. Midfielder Ceri Holland stepped to the spot but rattled her effort off the cross bar. She managed to follow up off the ricochet with a header that Curry saved as a KU foul call ended the threat.

Both teams had early chances, but it was Kansas with the better of the early going as UT turnovers resulted in shots from forward Grace Hagan (14:37) and Katie McClure (18:20) that Curry had to smother.

Texas nearly got on the board during the 21st minute off a free kick. Junior defender Emma Jett delivered a ball in from the left wing that connected with a tightly-marked Cyera Hintzen about eight yards out. Unfortunately, the junior forward's running volley chipped up and over the bar for a goal kick.

Back with the Longhorns following international duty with Team Canada, it didn't take long for freshman defender Emma Regan to make her presence felt. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native battled hard up the right side before getting taken down in the box to earn a UT penalty kick at 24:35. Dollas promptly stepped to the spot and blasted the ball into the twine for a 1-0 lead.

Kansas was right back at it during the 34th minute as a dangerous cross from the right side traveled all the way through the middle of the 18. Somehow, the ball eluded four different Texas defenders, but the Jayhawks didn't have a player positioned to get off a shot.

Also back from time with Team Canada, freshman midfielder Julia Grosso came close to finding paydirt at 35:52 as her bending effort from 27 yards out just missed the upper right corner.

Berg nearly found the scoresheet just 1:04 later as her 14-yard shot was saved over the right end line by diving Kansas keeper Sarah Peters.

Down the stretch of the opening stanza, KU continued to press, earning three straight corners from 41:32-42:25. UT's defense proved up to the task each time, however, by continuously clearing their lines.

The match really opened up in the second half as both teams created numerous chances throughout the final 45 minutes.

During the 65th minute, Kansas midfielder Miriam Melugin had a dangerous opportunity go awry. Racing up the middle of the 18 while marked, she managed to get on the end of a cross in from the left wing, but mis-hit her eventual eight-yard volley just outside the right post.

With the Jayhawks desperate for an equalizer, Taylor Christie (68:11) and Addisyn Merrick (70:30) each forced Curry into action.

It was the Longhorns that would eventually seal the match, however, on a terrific team goal at 85:08. Glenn started the play with a pass up the right wing that dropped in front of Adams. The Lancaster, Calif., native took several dribbles up field before delivering a cross in towards the right post. On the run, Berg tapped home a nine-yard volley into the right edge of net to finalize a 2-0 score line.