No. 20 Soccer posts first unbeaten Big 12 slate with 2-0 shutout of Kansas

Thursday, October 28

Lawrence, Kan.

7 p.m. CT

University of Texas

10-3-5, 6-0-3

Kansas

7-11-1, 2-7-0

Texas

Kansas

No. 20 Soccer posts first unbeaten Big 12 slate with 2-0 shutout of Kansas

10.28.2021 | Soccer

Box Score

Freshmen Trinity Byars & Lexi Missimo each scored their team-leading ninth goals to power the offense

LAWRENCE, Kan. – On a cold, rainy and windy Thursday night at Rock Chalk Park, No. 20 Texas soccer (10-3-5, 6-0-3 Big 12) finished off the first unbeaten Big 12 Conference season in program history by blanking Kansas (7-11-1, 2-7-0 Big 12), 2-0.

In the process, Texas also extended its season-best unbeaten string to 12 straight matches dating back to Sept. 12, marking the second-longest such skein in program history,

Texas Team Notes

The Longhorns came up just one point short of TCU in the race for the Big 12 regular-season title but did secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Championship in Round Rock, Texas.
Freshmen Trinity Byars and Lexi Missimo each scored their team-leading ninth goals of the season.
Texas registered its first unbeaten (6-0-3) Big 12 campaign in program history.
Texas out-shot Kansas by a total of 18-9 overall, led 7-4 in shots on goal and managed an 11-3 advantage in corners.

The Details

Despite some solid early Texas pressure, it was Kansas that registered the match's first shot as Brie Severns bent a 20-yard shot from the left wing outside of the right post at the 7:54 mark.

The Longhorns got on the board shot-wise in the 11th minute as Byars had a shot blocked at the top of the box.

Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden was forced into action between the pipes for the Horns during both the 20th and 21st minutes. On the second shot at 20:18, KU's Shira Elinav hit an effort from the right side of the box that deflected off a defender and popped straight up in the air before dropping down into the UT keeper's arms.

Texas had a great chance go awry at 23:54 as senior forward Mackenzie McFarland crossed a dangerous ball from the right wing into the middle. Moving in towards the top of the six, Byars managed to get off a quick running volley, but just mishit her shot as the ball bounced in harmlessly to KU's net minder Emilie Gavillet.

At 27:23, Kansas' Rylan Childers tried her luck from 19 yards out, but Madden corralled the bouncer on a hop near the left post.

Off a Texas corner in the 31st minute, a feed into the crowd ricocheted straight back out front. Longhorns freshman midfielder Ashlyn Miller tried a volley from 20 yards, but her shot, with a strong wind at her back, traveled well over the bar.

The Longhorns amped up their pressure as time went on throughout the opening half as senior defender Emma Regan (31:49), senior defender Cameron Brooks (33:53 & 36:35) and sophomore defender Lauren Lapomarda (34:15) all fired away.

With time running short in the opening stanza, Texas senior defender Carlee Allen took possession off a corner and hit a blast from the left wing right to Gavillet as the Burnt Orange & White managed a 10-4, first-half advantage on shots.

It took just 2:51 out of the halftime locker room for Texas to finally grab a lead. A ball played up the right wing dropped right in front of a marked Byars. The Richardson, Texas, speedster fought her way around a KU defender and scored from a sharp right angle into the left side netting to make it 1-0.

Just a little over seven minutes later at the 55:02 mark, the Longhorns doubled their advantage to 2-0. Brooks started the play by passing up field to freshman forward Holly Ward on the left wing. Ward moved end line and crossed into the top of the six where Missimo was waiting to volley home from six yards out.

Kansas finally managed another threat at 67:57 as Childers hit a shot on frame from the left wing that was deflected back out front before Texas was able to clear its lines.

Off a free kick with a strong wind at her back at 71:22, Kansas' Moira Kelly blasted a 30+yard try on frame that Madden leapt to tip up-and-over the cross bar.

Freshman defender EmJ Cox nearly made it three for the Horns at 74:46 as her header off a corner bounced just outside the left post.

Texas' defense continued to battle down the stretch as a pair of shots by Severns went wide (79:35 & 82:09), while the backline continued to get in the way for deflections to shutdown Kansas passing lanes.

The Jayhawks had one solid final chance with 1:23 to go in regulation off a free kick as Kelly blasted a 25-yard shot that deflected just wide of the right post.