No. 21 Soccer drops NCAA First Round match at No. 25 SMU, 2-0

Sunday, November 14

Dallas, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

11-5-6, 6-0-3

#25 SMU

12-4-2, 4-2-2

Texas

SMU

No. 21 Soccer drops NCAA First Round match at No. 25 SMU, 2-0

11.14.2021 | Soccer

Box Score

The Longhorns out-shot the Mustangs in the match by a total of 10-9

DALLAS, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at Washburne Stadium, No. 25 SMU (12-4-2) got goals in the opening 10 minutes of each half to eliminate No. 21 Texas Soccer (11-5-6) from NCAA First Round action, 2-0.

Texas Team Notes

Texas dropped to 8-15-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament play over 15 appearances and 0-3-0 against SMU in NCAA First Round contests.
The Longhorns out-shot the Mustangs by a total of 10-9, but trailed 4-1 in shots on goal.
Texas ended its 2021 campaign by losing consecutive matches for the first time all season.

The Details

With the teams in the feeling-out process early on, SMU managed to score on the match's first real chance at 5:57. Off a feed in from the left wing to the right post, the ball was immediately crossed back towards the left post. Alina Khan was waiting six yards out to volley home and grant the Mustangs an early 1-0 advantage.

Texas began to settle more into the match, and got on the board shot-wise during the 15th minute as senior midfielder Emma Regan blasted well wide right from distance.

The Mustangs threatened to add a second goal at 23:00 as a through ball up the middle found Sammy Nieves in space entering the top of the box. The feed proved to be just a foot too far in front as her eventual sliding shot lacked pace and rolled straight to Texas fifth-year senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden for a save.

Senior midfielder Julia Grosso did some strong work for the Horns to keep possession during the 32nd minute. Unfortunately, her eventual shot from just inside the top of the box was blocked away by a sliding SMU defender.

Over the remainder of the first half, UT freshman midfielder Ashlyn Miller shot high from distance, and Grosso had another attempt blocked as Texas out-shot the Mustangs over the opening 45 minutes, 5-3.

It took just 2:07 of the second half for SMU to double its advantage. The decisive play started off a long pass in from the left wing that dropped right into the middle of the box. A Texas defender out-fought a Mustang player to clear the ball briefly, but the clearance traveled straight to Wayny Balata near the top of the 18. The SMU midfielder wasted no time hitting a 15-yard shot into the left side of frame to make it 2-0.

Texas came close to pulling one back at 68:45 as a long ball up field landed right in front of charging freshman forward Trinity Byars. Battling her marker, the Richardson, Texas, native managed to get off a quick shot but her effort rolled just outside the left post.

Just 42 seconds later, Texas freshman forward Holly Ward got into some space out on the left wing, but her eventual shot also rolled just outside of the left post.

The Longhorns continued to pressure throughout the second half as freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo drove up the middle and passed out wide near the right post. Senior forward Mackenzie McFarland managed to chip a quick running shot towards frame that deflected off the keeper hands, part of the woodwork and rolled all the way across the goal mouth before being cleared away by the Mustangs.

Byars registered what turned out be Texas' last major threat at 80:15 after she received a pass in a 1-v-1 situation against SMU net minder Tatum Sutherland. Racing in from the right side of the box, Byars hammered a blast from seven yards out only to have her shot rattle off the right post.