The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Soccer places four on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region teams
11.29.2021 | Soccer
Julia Grosso, Lexi Missimo, Trinity Byars & Emma Regan all reaped honors from the coaches association
AUSTIN, Texas – According to a Monday release from the Association, four Texas soccer student-athletes earned United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region accolades as senior midfielder Julia Grosso and freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo were each named to the first team, freshman forward Trinity Byars was tabbed to the second team and senior defender/midfielder Emma Regan reaped third-team honors.
For Grosso, UT's only multi-time recipient from the quartet, this marked her fourth consecutive United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection (second career first-team nod). With the four inclusions, the Texas program has now received 60 overall United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors dating back to 1995.
Also a four-time All-Big 12 Conference selection, Grosso continued her outstanding production throughout her senior campaign by totaling six goals and four assists for 16 points over 18 matches. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native and Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist registered points in seven contests, scored goals in five matches and tallied match-winners to down New Mexico State (Sept. 2), UTRGV (Sept. 12) and Texas Tech (Oct. 3). Her finest efforts arguably came with a brace in the win over New Mexico State, a two-assist effort during the triumph over Samford (Sept. 16) and by scoring the match-winner just 7:51 into a 1-0 victory over rival Texas Tech (Oct. 3).
The 2021 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year, Missimo made quite an impression during her first full campaign in the Burnt Orange & White by scoring nine goals and dishing a league-high and Texas freshman record 14 assists for 32 total points (fourth in the Big 12). Along the way, the Southlake, Texas, native totaled points in 12-of-22 matches and at least three points in five separate contests. Included was a program-record-tying performance during Texas' 7-0 rout of UTRGV (Sept. 12) as Missimo became the first Longhorns player to score four goals in a match in 18 years. She also tied a program mark by dishing four assists during a 4-3 victory at Oklahoma back on Sept. 2 and registered match-winning goals to down both SIUE (Sept. 19) and Iowa State (Oct. 8).
Despite not getting on the scoresheet goal-wise until her seventh career match, Byars quickly exploded offensively to eventually lead the team with 12 goals (third in the Big 12) to go with 10 assists for a squad-best 34 total points (tied for second in the Big 12). Along the way, the All-Big 12 Conference First Team selection established a new program record by scoring in six consecutive matches from Sept. 12-30 and put up the second-longest point-scoring streak in school history by totaling at least one point in eight straight contests (Sept. 12-Oct. 8). The Richardson, Texas, native managed three multi-goal efforts this past season. Included were braces against both Samford (Sept. 16) and Oklahoma (Sept. 26) as well as the program's 15th overall hat trick scored during a 5-2, Big 12 quarterfinal win over the Sooners.
One of the unquestioned team leaders and a second team All-Big 12 Conference choice, Regan started all 22 matches as a senior while playing a team-leading 2,102 of 2,113 possible minutes. The Burnaby, British Columbia, product finished the season riding a streak of 58 straight starts dating back to Oct., 25, 2018. After spending the early season in her usual role as a center back, Regan was moved into more of a holding midfielder role. That move paid huge dividends as Regan and the Longhorns promptly went on a program-record 14-match unbeaten streak. Her efforts also played a key role in a program-record shutout streak of 552:56.
