Soccer’s offense erupts as Longhorns blast Kansas State, 7-0

Friday, October 9

Austin, Texas

5 p.m. CT

University of Texas

2-3-0, 2-3-0

Kansas State

0-4-0, 0-4-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Kansas St.	0	0	0
Texas	2	5	7

Soccer’s offense erupts as Longhorns blast Kansas State, 7-0

10.09.2020 | Soccer

Box Score

The seven-goal output was the most for the Longhorns in a Big 12 regular season contest since Oct. 12, 2003

AUSTIN, Texas – On Friday evening at Mike A. Myers Stadium, Texas' offense erupted as seven different Longhorns found the back of the net in handing Kansas State (0-4-0) its worst loss in program history, 7-0.

Texas Team Notes

Texas' (2-3-0) seven goals were the program's most in a Big 12 Conference regular-season match since beating Texas Tech in Austin back on Oct. 12, 2003, 7-0.
The seven goals tied for the third-most by the Longhorns in a Big 12 Conference regular-season match in program history. UT previously defeated Oklahoma on Sept. 26, 1997, 9-0, topped Oklahoma State on Sept. 28, 1997, 8-0, and also defeated Iowa State on Sept. 29, 2002, 7-0.
The loss was the worst in Kansas State's five-year program history. The Wildcats previous worst defeat was a 5-0 shutout against BYU on Sept. 21, 2019.
Texas out-shot Kansas State by a total of 20-10, including 12-1 in the second half and 13-1 in shots on goal.

Texas Player Notes

Senior midfielder Haley Berg scored her first goal of the season and the 21st of her standout career to move into a tie for ninth in the Texas career record book alongside Alanna Makinano (1996-99) and Katie Baruth (1996-98).
There were a number of career offensive firsts for the Longhorns against the Wildcats: junior defender Emma Regan scored her first career goal; sophomore midfielder/forward Lauryn Oliver registered her first career goal and assist; freshman forward Presley Echols and freshman midfielder Sophia Claros each also recorded their first career assist.
Junior midfielder Julia Grosso and Echols each scored against Kansas State to move into a two-way tie for the most combined goals (two) and points (five) on the 2020 Texas squad.
Grosso has now scored a goal in each of Texas' last two matches, while Berg is riding a three-match point streak.
Senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden was forced to make just one stop in recording her third career solo shutout.

The Details

It took just 2:01 for the Longhorns to begin their onslaught against the Wildcats as Berg received a feed in clear space behind the KSU backline and scored from five yards out to make it 1-0.

Kansas State tried to get a little offense of its own going during the sixth and seventh minutes as both Brooklynn Entz and Bailey Nemechek had shots blocked out front by the UT defense.

The Longhorns started to add more pressure over the next few minutes as Grosso and Berg hooked up at 11:36 with the latter driving a shot into the arms of diving KSU keeper Cameron Illingworth.

The Wildcats had a great chance for an equalizer at 19:45 as Kyler Goins hit a shot from the top of the box, but the effort rolled just a yard outside the right post.

Texas nearly made it 2-0 during the 27th minute as Berg rattled a 19-yard shot off the crossbar. With the ball still bouncing around inside the 18-yard box, the Longhorns were subsequently called offside before any possible follow-up attempt.

Finally, at 31:50, the Longhorns located a second as Brooks battled her marker for a ball inside the 18. The Round Rock, Texas, native was tripped by a KSU defender forcing the head referee to signal for a penalty. Regan stepped up to the spot and calmly drove it into the twine for her first career collegiate goal and a 2-0 advantage.

With just 15 seconds left in the opening half, Kansas State came close to pulling one back as a tightly-marked Marissa Gohr leapt over a crowd in the middle of the 18, but headed a shot just wide left.

KSU came out of the locker room with some brief fire as the Wildcats controlled possession over the opening three minutes, including earning a corner.

Unfortunately for Kansas State, Texas' offense soon began an onslaught that resulted in five goals over a stretch of 29:55.

At 58:29, a bad defensive turnover on the left wing by the Wildcat backline was stolen by Grosso and slotted home from nine yards out at a tough angle to make it 3-0.

In the 69th minute, a long pass ahead by the Longhorns bounced just inside the top of the 18. Both Echols and a KSU defender leapt in the air with the Wildcat heading the ball directly towards goal. It eventually dropped right at the feet of Brooks, and she pounced to drive it past Illingworth for a 4-0 lead.

Just 25 seconds later at 69:11, Oliver got in the scoring column for the first time in her Texas career. In possession out on the left side of the box, the Smyrna, Ga., native drove a nine-yard shot that was saved, but the keeper deflected it straight back out to Oliver's feet. She wouldn't miss on a second attempt as her six-yard shot found pay dirt to boost the gap to 5-0.

At 73:25, Oliver and Brooks combined to work a pass to Echols who drove UT's sixth score of the night home from 16 yards out.

With time running short, Claros was subbed into the contest to see the first action of her career at 87:49. The Carrollton, Texas, native needed just 35 seconds to get on the scoresheet by virtue of an assist as she fed a ball from near the right end line out to the top right corner of the box. Junior midfielder Kailey Smith tried her luck and somehow located the far left upper 90 on a beautiful shot to finalize the 7-0 scoreline.