No. 17 Soccer finishes first perfect regular-season home slate with 4-0 win over Kansas State

Sunday, October 21

Austin, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

13-2-2, 5-2-1Big 12

Kansas State

4-11-2, 0-8-0Big 12

Kansas State

Texas

Photo by: Stephen Spillman

No. 17 Soccer finishes first perfect regular-season home slate with 4-0 win over Kansas State

10.21.2018 | Soccer

Box Score

Freshman midfielder Julia Grosso scored her first two collegiate goals over a 6:04 stretch of the second half

AUSTIN, Texas – It was a picture-perfect "Senior Day" for No. 17 Texas soccer (13-2-2, 5-2-1 Big 12 Conference) on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium as the Longhorns rolled past Kansas State (4-11-2, 0-8-0 Big 12 Conference), 4-0, to complete their first perfect regular-season home schedule in 25 years of program history.

With today's triumph, the Burnt Orange & White also improved their home winning streak to 11 consecutive matches dating back to a victory in NCAA First Round play at the end of the 2017 season.

The UT offense exploded for four goals against the Wildcats, marking the most Texas has scored against a Big 12 Conference opponent in a match since beating Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, back on Sept. 21, 2012, 4-0.

Individually, freshman midfielder Julia Grosso led the way for the Longhorns by scoring the first two goals of her collegiate career over a 6:04 stretch of the second half. Senior forward Alexa Adams and sophomore midfielder Haley Berg both registered their sixth goals of the season, while junior forward Cyera Hintzen (Big 12-leading ninth) and junior defender Atu Mshana (second) were credited with single assists. Junior goalkeeper Nicole Curry picked up her 16th career shutout and fifth of the campaign by making three saves.

During the contest, Texas out-shot K-State by a 15-7 total, including 5-3 in shots on goal, and managed a commanding 13-1 lead on corner kicks.

It was the Longhorns that controlled the early going, but the Wildcats that managed the first shot for either team at 6:01 as forward Tatum Wagner had an effort blocked from 18 yards out.

Senior midfielder Katie Glenn got the Longhorns offense on the board shot-wise with blocked tries at 9:10 and 9:58.

With a midfield battle raging all over, the only shot that forced a keeper into action over the first 30 minutes came from K-State's Christina Baxter at 20:22 as UT's Curry made a routine catch.

Hintzen was finally introduced into the match at the 34:36 mark and took no time in making an immediate impression on the proceedings. The Big 12's leading point scorer needed just 41 seconds to corral a turnover, turn and make a perfect pass to Adams, who dribbled ahead into the 18 before finishing just inside the right post from seven yards out to make it 1-0.

Out of the halftime break, Hintzen nearly doubled UT's advantage at 48:27 as her seven-yard shot from a sharp angle on the left wing rattled off the outside of the post.

The Wildcats put together a better spell of possession from the 49th-53rd minutes as KSU fed several crosses through the middle of the 18, but couldn't get off a shot as UT continued to clear its lines.

Mshana managed to come close to scoring a goal of her own at 61:53 as her long free kick from near midfield had to be tipped up and over the cross bar by Kansas State keeper Emma Malsy.

Hintzen again came desperately close to scoring during the 66th minute by scraping a 15-yard effort just over the bar.

Grosso made her presence felt in a major way during the 68th minute after taking possession at the top left corner of the 18. The Vancouver, British Columbia, product moved sharply to her right into space before launching a shot from 15 yards out that just skimmed inside the right post to make it 2-0.

It took just 6:04 of match time for Grosso to complete her brace as the Canadian international weaved her way from 40 yards out through numerous K-State defenders before blasting home a left-footed, 18-yard shot for a 3-0 advantage.

With Texas holding the majority of possession over the final 45 minutes, the Wildcats did manage to trouble Curry one last time at 81:49 as Laramie Hall forced a save on a 15-yard drive.

The Longhorns finalized their four-goal offensive output at the 83:21 mark as Berg created some magic on a 19-yard blast from the top of the box that tickled the twine.