Soccer knocks off No. 17 Kansas on the road, 1-0

Thursday, September 26

Lawrence, Kansas

7 p.m. CT

University of Texas

6-4-0, 1-0-0Big 12

#17 Kansas

8-3-0, 0-1-0Big 12

Team	1	2	Final F
Texas	0	1	1
Kansas	0	0	0

Soccer knocks off No. 17 Kansas on the road, 1-0

09.26.2019 | Soccer

Box Score

Senior forward Cyera Hintzen returned from injury to score her 11th career match-winning goal

LAWRENCE, Kan. – A 70th-minute goal by senior forward Cyera Hintzen in her return from injury proved enough on Thursday night at Rock Chalk Park as Texas soccer (6-4-0) opened its Big 12 campaign with a 1-0 road victory at No. 17 Kansas (8-3-0).

Important Notes

This was Texas' first win over a ranked opponent since a 2-1 (OT) victory over No. 23 UCF back on Aug. 24, 2018. It was also the Longhorns' first road win over a ranked Big 12 foe since winning at No. 17 Texas Tech back on Oct. 16, 2015, 2-1 (2OT).
Texas is now 14-8-2 all-time in Big 12 openers and has won its last three league lid-lifters dating back to 2017.
Hintzen's goal, coming in her first action back after missing the previous three matches for precautionary reasons, was the 25th of her career as well as her 11th career match-winner. With the score, she also moved into fifth on the Texas career goal-scoring list and remains in fourth in career match-winning goals.
Junior midfielder Haley Berg picked up her team-leading sixth assist of the season, while sophomore defender Emma Regan was credited with her second assist of the year.
Kansas out-shot Texas by an overall total of 12-9, but the Longhorns held a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Nicole Curry picked up her 32nd career win and 21st solo shutout, good for third all-time in Texas history in both categories.

The Details

Texas had the best of the early scoring chances as Berg and sophomore midfielder Kailey Smith drove shots wide right of frame over the opening 4:52 of action.

With the teams feeling each other out, Berg earned a free kick about 25 yards out from net. Hintzen stepped up at 11:36 and blasted a shot right into the arms of Kansas keeper Sarah Peters.

The Jayhawks' first shot of the contest came off a free kick at 17:39 as midfielder Ceri Holland struck a ball from 25 yards only to have sophomore midfielder Julia Grosso block it as part of the UT defensive wall.

A quick counter by the Horns led to a scoring chance at 30:46 as Hintzen drove up the left wing and fired a 13-yard shot right at Peters for another of her four total stops.

Possession swung more in KU's favor over the remainder of the first half as forward Katie McClure (31:41) and midfielder Kathryn Castro (32:12) each had shots blocked by the Texas defense.

Berg worked hard to create one more opportunity for Texas at 40:39, but again her shot from 16 yards out traveled straight to the keeper.

The Jayhawks erupted out of the locker room to the tune of six corners and five total shots over the opening 10:02 of the second half.

The best chance for Kansas over that stretch came off a set piece at 47:22 as McClure volleyed a ball from the top of the box on net. Curry was positioned perfectly, however, to leap and tap the dangerous effort up and over the crossbar.

Texas finally began to settle back into the match over the next 10 minutes, before finally breaking the scoreless deadlock during the 70th-minute.

Berg started the decisive play back up near midfield by delivering a pass out wide to Regan near the right sideline. UT's Canadian international launched a perfectly weighted ball about 30 yards up field over the back line and right into the path of Hintzen in the right side of the 18. From there, UT's two-time All-American somehow chipped the ball past a Kansas defender and on-rushing net minder Peters from seven yards out for a 1-0 lead.

Kansas nearly answered back on a quick counter attack at the 76:47 mark as Mandi Duggan's shot from the top of the box rattled off the top of the crossbar before going over for a goal kick.

With the Jayhawks swarming for an equalizer, Texas sophomore defender Cameron Brooks fought hard to waste some time for the Burnt Orange & White by earning a corner. Just seconds later she also tried her luck from just inside the 18 at 85:19, but her effort ventured right into Peters' grasp.

The Longhorns continued to fight down the stretch to preserve the clean sheet with Grosso nearly sneaking a shot inside the right post at 88:32.

Regan came up with a huge sliding tackle, on a building threat near the 18, during the last 1:30 of the match as Texas managed to limit any further scoring chances in registering the shutout triumph.