No. 18 Soccer preview: vs. No. 14 West Virginia in the Big 12 semifinals [Nov. 2, 2018]

Soccer Match 20 – BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL: No. 3 seed Texas (13-3-3, 5-3-1 Big 12) vs. No. 2 seed West Virginia (12-4-3, 7-2-0 Big 12)

Time: Friday, Nov. 2 – 7 p.m. CT

Location: Kansas City, Mo. (Children's Mercy Victory Field - Swope Soccer Village)

COMPLETE TEXAS MATCH NOTES: LINK

TV: The match is scheduled to be webstreamed on the Big 12 Digital Network through Big12Sports.com. The match can be viewed through this LINK.

Free Kicks:

Texas hasn't shied away from playing a tough schedule in 2018 as the Longhorns slate currently rates as the 12th-toughest in all of NCAA Division I women's soccer. In all, UT has played eight matches against RPI Top 50 squads and six contests against RPI Top 25 foes this year.

Texas was well represented in the release of this week's annual Big 12 soccer awards, winning two-of-three individual player honors while putting four on the various league squads. Junior forward Cyera Hintzen earned the program's FIRST-EVER Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award, while midfielder Julia Grosso reaped UT's THIRD-STRAIGHT Big 12 Freshman of the Year accolade by sharing co-honors with TCU's Messiah Bright. Hintzen joined sophomore midfielder Haley Berg on the All-Big 12 First Team, while Grosso received an All-Big 12 Second Team nod. Both Grosso and forward Mackenzie McFarland were included on the 11-member Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

Texas junior goalkeeper Nicole Curry is beginning to make an impression on the UT career record book. The Dallas, Texas, native continues to lead in career goals-against-average at 0.72 and now ranks fourth in solo shutouts (17) and fifth in victories (27) between the pipes.

Junior forward Cyera Hintzen is attempting to accomplish something that only two players (Nebraska's Morgan Marlborough - 2010 and West Virginia's Frances Silva - 2013) have ever done in Big 12 history, lead the conference in goals, assists and points for an entire season. The Garland, Texas, native is currently on top of all three categories in the league with 10 goals, nine assists and 29 points through 19 matches.

Texas is making its 22nd all-time appearance at the Big 12 Championship, owning a 13-17-7 record in the annual event. UT has advanced to its first semifinal since 2014 when the Longhorns tied West Virginia (0-0, 2OT), but lost on penalty kicks, 6-5. The last time the Burnt Orange & White reached the Big 12 Championship Final was 2007 when they knocked off Texas A&M to win their second straight title, 2-1.

The Burnt Orange & White trail their overall series against West Virginia by a 2-6-1 total and are 0-0-1 all-time in neutral site matches having played the Mountaineers in the 2014 Big 12 Championship semifinals. During this year's regular-season match-up, the Longhorns got a 19th minute goal from sophomore midfielder Haley Berg to grab an early lead but were victimized by a 77th minute penalty and an 80th minute score to fall on the road in Morgantown, 2-1.

Scoring first has been a predictor of success for the Longhorns this season as UT owns a 10-1-1 mark when putting the initial goal on the board. UT scored first during a 1-1 (2OT) tie at No. 4 North Carolina, while the lone loss when "tickling the twine" before an opponent occurred at No. 16 West Virginia, 2-1.

Texas has had plenty of heroines this season as seven different Longhorns have registered match-winning goals over the opening 19 contests. During last year's successful 2017 season, only five different Texas players scored match-winning tallies.

After going just 2-8 during one-goal matches during the 2016 season, the Longhorns have since turned around their fortunes in such contests by going a remarkable 18-6 over their last 24 one-goal matches since beginning 2017 and are 7-3 in 2018.

The Longhorns managed 13 regular-season wins this season, tying the 2017 and 2007 Texas teams for the third-most regular season triumphs in program history. UT needs five more victories to tie the school record of 18 overall single-season wins set by the 2006 edition of the Burnt Orange & White.

With Nicole Curry and Julia Grosso's nods as the Big 12 Defensive and Freshman of the Week on Oct. 23, respectively, the Longhorns registered a program record nine weekly league awards in 2018, breaking the old mark of seven set by the 2017 Texas squad.

With wins over Kansas and Kansas State, Texas made program history by completing the first perfect regular-season home schedule in school annals at 10-0-0. Overall, UT has out-scored its 10 opponents at Mike A. Myers Stadium by a staggering total of 29-6.

Outshooting opponents has been important for the Longhorns' success this season as Texas owns a 10-0-1 mark when firing more shots in a contest. UT out-shot No. 13 Oklahoma State, 18-14, but was dealt a 1-1 (2OT) tie.

Texas is taking the mantra of "defending your home turf" to heart as the Longhorns are a perfect 10-0-0 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in 2018. UT has now won 11 consecutive home contests (including last year's NCAA First Round victory over North Texas) and 20 of their last 22 home match-ups overall. The program record for the longest home winning streak is 14 straight matches established over the 2004 & 2005 seasons.

Senior forward Alexa Adams has tallied at least one point in nine of her last 15 matches. Sophomore midfielder Haley Berg has now totaled two points in seven of UT's last 15 contests and junior forward Cyera Hintzen has points in eight of the last 12 matches. In all, Hintzen has registered at least one point in 13-of-19 matches this season and at least two points in 10-of-19 (she's scored goals in eight-of-19).

The Burnt Orange & White are an impressive 7-2-6 in overtime matches combining the 2017 & 2018 seasons (2-0-3 in 2018) and have gone to at least one extra session in 15 of their last 34 contests.

Texas has scored first in 12 of its 19 matches during the 2018 campaign, and the Longhorns have trailed for only 145:06 (parts of matches against Texas State, Baylor, No. 13 Oklahoma State, TCU, No. 16 West Virginia and Oklahoma) out of 1773:08 of match time so far this season. Texas has scored first in 28 of its last 40 total matches dating back to the start of 2017.

The Longhorns were ranked No. 10 in the seventh release of the NCAA Division I Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) on Monday. Texas ranks second in the Big 12, behind Baylor (third), and is one of five total league schools in the RPI Top 22. The Big 12 also rated second this week in conference RPI, just behind the SEC.

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics