The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Friday, August 17
Houston, Texas
7 p.m. CT
University of Texas
at
Rice
Preview: No. 17 Soccer at Rice [Aug. 17, 2018]
08.16.2018 | Soccer
The Longhorns travel to Houston to open the 2018 campaign versus the Owls
Soccer Match 1: No. 17 Texas (0-0-0) at Rice (0-0-0)
Time: Friday, Aug. 17 – 7 p.m. CT
Location: Houston, Texas (Holloway Field)
Tickets: LINK
Live Stats: LINK
TV: LINK - paid webstream available through Conference USA TV
COMPLETE TEXAS GAME NOTES: LINK
Free Kicks:
- Texas enters Friday's match with a 4-1 all-time record (0-1 on the road) against Rice, but suffered its only series defeat on the road in Houston back on Sept. 10, 2006, 1-0. UT knocked off the Owls in Austin to open the 2017 campaign, 2-1, as midfielder Haley Berg scored just 25 seconds into her collegiate career and forward Cyera Hintzen tallied her first match-winner of the season.
- The Longhorns enter Friday's match against Rice holding a 13-10-1 all-time record in season-openers. UT is 4-1-1 in such contests during Angela Kelly's six-year stint as head coach after knocking off Rice in Austin last year on Aug. 18, 2017, 2-1.
- Texas freshman defender Emma Regan was included as part of Top Drawer Soccer's National Preseason Best XI Freshman Team according to an Aug. 13 release from the organization. A highly-decorated Canadian international, and part of UT's standout eight-member 2018 recruiting class that was ranked 16th in the country, Regan was one of just two Big 12 Conference rookies to make the 11-player national freshman squad (Anna Lawler – Oklahoma State).
- The Longhorns are bringing back some impressive production for 2018 as UT returns 97% of the goals (28-of-29), 90% of the assists (27-of-30), 94% of the total points (83-of-88) and all 11 shutouts between the pipes for the upcoming campaign.
- Texas junior forward Cyera Hintzen has been named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year in Division I soccer.
- Texas junior forward Cyera Hintzen (second straight selection) and sophomore midfielder/forward Haley Berg have been tabbed as two of the 11 players on this year's Preseason All-Big 12 Team. A 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-American, Hintzen led the Big 12 last season in scoring (25 points) and match-winning goals (six). Berg, the 2017 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and one of just two sophomores on the preseason league squad, ranked in the league's top 10 last year in goals, points and match-winners.
- Texas has had several of its current players receive recent international experience. Junior forward Cyera Hintzen (U.S. U-23 in January 2018), sophomore midfielder Haley Berg (U.S. U-19 in February 2018) and freshman defender Cameron Brooks (U.S. U-18 in May 2018) all received U.S. Team Training Camp call-ups this calendar year. Freshman midfielder Julia Grosso earned three senior level caps for Team Canada at the Algarve Cup (Feb.-March 2018) in Portugal and joined freshman defender Emma Regan in a Canadian Women's Senior National Team call-up for a June friendly against Germany. Former Texas goalkeeper Abby Smith continues to receives call-ups to the U.S. Women's Senior National Team (recently for friendlies against China in June 2018), but is still waiting to earn her first official cap.
- Texas will start the new season at No. 17 in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll released on Aug. 7. The preseason ranking is the first for the Burnt Orange & White since beginning the 2009 campaign at No. 15.
- Once again this season, the Texas soccer program has adopted the acronym RAMPED as the guideline for the campaign. The letters represent the words Respect, Accountability, Mentality, Pursuit of Excellence, Energy and Discipline, all facets of a championship team.
- Texas is coming off a 14-4-3 campaign in 2017 that saw the Longhorns finish No. 14 in the polls while reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 2007. Along the way, UT was the last undefeated and untied squad in all of NCAA Division I women's soccer while also tying school records for the longest winning streak (11 matches) and unbeaten streak (13 matches) in a single season. The Longhorns return 23 letter winners from that squad including USC Second-Team All-American forward Cyera Hintzen, USC All-Region midfielder Katie Glenn and defender Atu Mshana, Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year midfielder Haley Berg and UT single-season shutout record-holding goalkeeper Nicole Curry.
- Fans and opponents better watch out for Texas' dynamic duo of junior forward Cyera Hintzen and sophomore midfielder Haley Berg. The duo combined to score 16 of Texas' 29 goals, registered nine of 30 total assists and managed 41 of the Longhorns' 88 total points (47%) last season.
Players Mentioned
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OB
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GK
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M
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M
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F
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D
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OB
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GK
/ Soccer