The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
8-3-5, 4-0-3
West Virginia
9-4-3, 3-2-2
No. 21 Soccer ties West Virginia, 0-0 (2OT)
10.21.2021 | Soccer
The Longhorns broke a 13-year-old program record for shutout streak by extending their run to 480:42
AUSTIN, Texas – On Thursday night in front of the largest crowd of the season (2,049) at Mike A. Myers Stadium, No. 21 Texas soccer (8-3-5, 4-0-3 Big 12 Conference) extended its unbeaten run to 10 straight matches with a 0-0 (2OT) tie against West Virginia (9-4-3, 3-2-2 Big 12 Conference).
The Longhorns also extended their shutout streak to 480:42, stretching over five matches, to break a 13-year-old program record.
Texas Team Notes
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The Longhorns were playing without the services of senior All-American midfielder Julia Grosso and freshman midfielder Amelia Abbott as both are currently off on international duty with Canada and New Zealand, respectively.
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Texas is now unbeaten (4-0-3) over its first seven Big 12 matches for just the third time in school history, joining the 2001 (7-0-0) and 2002 (7-0-0) UT squads.
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Texas' 10-match unbeaten streak is the longest since an 11-match skein from Aug. 17-Sept. 28, 2018. It's just three matches from tying the program record of 13 matches set by the 2006 & 2017 teams.
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Texas is 1-0-5 this season in overtime matches, while the six total OT contests are the most in a single season since the Longhorns played a program record 10 back in 2017.
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Texas' school record shutout streak now stands at 480:42 dating back to the Sept. 30 match against TCU. It broke the old Longhorns program mark of 453:09 that stretched from Oct. 10-26, 2008.
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West Virginia out-shot Texas in the match by an overall total of 14-12. Both teams tied at 7-7 in shots on goal, while WVU led 4-3 in corner kicks.
- Texas now sits second in the Big 12 regular-season standings with 15 total points (2.14 points-per-match), trailing only TCU (16 points – 2.29 points-per-match).
The Details
It was West Virginia controlling the early possession with AJ Rodriguez (blocked) and Maya McCutcheon (saved) registering the first shots in the sixth and seventh minute, respectively.
Texas' began to settle into the match as time went on. It was freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo that got the Longhorns on the board shot-wise at 26:08 with a blast from the top of the box right into the arms of WVU keeper Kayza Massey.
Freshman midfielder Ashlyn Miller threatened for the Burnt Orange & White at 33:44 as her 18-yard try from the top left of the box missed just outside the upper left 90.
During the 37th minute, Texas senior midfielder Emma Regan demonstrated her impressive skill. The Burnaby, British Columbia, native danced her way through three Mountaineer defenders before hammering a 17-yard shot just over the crossbar.
West Virginia strung together a threat of its own in the 40th minute as McCutcheon had a shot from 12 yards out on the left wing blocked. The ball bounced to the right to Aaliyah Scott, but her follow-up effort rolled outside the left post.
Perhaps the best chance of the match for either team came at 42:51 as a long ball up the middle ended up right in the path of Texas freshman forward Trinity Byars. The Richardson, Texas, native dribbled to the top of the box and fired, but Massey charged hard off her line to make a sliding deflection in the 1-v-1 situation.
Out of the break, it was Texas on the front foot as solid crosses from sophomore defender Lauren Lapomarda and senior forward Mackenzie McFarland had to be covered by Massey at the top of the six.
West Virginia came close at 50:53 as Dilary Heredia-Beltran moved a step inside the top of the box and drove a shot on frame. Texas fifth-year senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden was positioned perfectly to leap and tip the drive over the crossbar for one of her seven total saves.
With approximately 26 minutes remaining, McFarland again crossed a dangerous ball from the right wing into the middle. Missimo was in space for the Horns near the top of the six, but couldn't get her foot around in time to get off a shot.
During the 77th minute, following great work on the right wing by junior forward Sydney Nobles, Byars again found herself in space inside the box. Nobles fed a pass into Byars, but she was betrayed by a heavy first touch as WVU managed to clear the ball out before any shot. Missimo was waiting for a follow-up, but her try deflected right to Massey.
Missimo came close at the 80:36 mark as the Southlake, Texas, native's 17-yard shot from the left wing traveled about a yard over the woodwork.
In the first extra session, it was the Longhorns in control early as Missimo, freshman defender EmJ Cox and Byars combined for four blocked or saved attempts over the first 7:10.
The Mountaineers would register just one shot during the opening OT as Isabella Sibley bounced a shot in on Madden from 25+ yards out.
During the second OT, WVU out-shot the Horns, 3-1, but it was Texas with the most dangerous chance.
With under three minutes remaining, Regan created a turnover, drove hard up the right wing and crossed dangerously into the middle. Massey managed to dive to smother the ball right as Nobles arrived for what might have been a simple tap-in winner.
