Soccer falls in its season opener at UCF

Thursday, August 19

Orlando, Fla.

5 p.m. CT

University of Texas

0-1-0, 0-0-0

UCF

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Texas	0	0	0
UCF	3	1	4

08.19.2021 | Soccer

Box Score

The Longhorns will return to action at Florida (11 a.m. CT) on Sunday live on SEC Network Plus

ORLANDO, Fla. – On a hot and muggy Thursday night at the UCF Soccer Complex, a second-minute goal set the early tone for UCF (1-0-0) as the Knights knocked off Texas (0-1-0) in both teams' season opener, 4-0.

Texas Team Notes

The Longhorns dropped to 2-2-0 all-time against the Knights and 0-1-0 in Orlando.
UCF out-shot Texas, 11-10, including 8-6 in shots on goal.
Texas dropped its season-opening match for the second year in a row and for only the third time since Angela Kelly arrived to helm the program prior to 2012.
Freshmen midfielders Lexi Missimo and Ashlyn Miller led the Longhorns with two shots each.

The Details

It took just 1:20 for UCF to find the back of the net as a pass up the left wing located Kristen Scott in some space behind the UT back line. She broke in 1-v-1 against Texas fifth-year senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden and scored from eight yards out to make it 1-0.

The Horns threatened right back in the third minute as Missimo beat a defender to the left end line and crossed into the middle. UCF managed to clear the ball out of danger before any Texas attempt.

The Longhorns managed their first shot at the 9:18 mark as senior midfielder Julia Grosso dribbled to her left towards the top of the box before driving a left-footed shot right into the hands of UCF net minder Caroline DeLisle.

Texas came close to a breakthrough during the 20th minute. Freshman forward Holly Ward battled her defender for approximately 40 yards up the left sideline before somehow crossing a ball in towards the top of the six. With a crowd bunched up in front, the ball deflected off the group and up-and-over the crossbar for a goal kick.

A one-two at midfield between freshman forward Trinity Byars and Missimo eventually resulted in a pass upfield into the path of on-the-run Mackenzie McFarland. The senior forward got to the ball in stride and made a 1-v-1 move to the right around the on-rushing keeper near the top of the 18. Unfortunately, UCF's defenders managed to rally quickly to close up what had briefly been an open goal.

UCF threatened again with a strong late push as a Talia Gabarra shot from 12 yards out was stopped by Madden (36:25).

A Knight cross from the right wing found Kristen Scott marked at the back post. Her eventual sliding shot traveled up-and-over the bar.

The Knights eventually doubled their advantage on a penalty kick at 40:21 as Darya Rajaee stepped to the spot after a UT foul and blasted her effort into the upper right 90 to make it 2-0.

A quick counter attack allowed UCF to add another at 43:31 as Scott received a pass in a 1-v-1 situation and beat a diving Madden to boost the Knights to a 3-0 advantage.

Out of the halftime break, Texas freshman forward Lola Stanley tried her luck from outside the top of the 18 at 48:36, but her lengthy effort went well over the woodwork.

UCF managed a pair of corners (62:41 & 66:57) and forced a routine Madden save at 57:58, but neither team was doing a solid job of locating the final pass in its attacking third.

The Knights went on to score again for a 4-0 advantage at 74:41 as a shot from the left side of the 18 ricocheted off the crowd in the box before dropping right in front of Mallory Olsson. Unmarked, she finished easily into an open net from five yards out.

Down the stretch, Texas' Miller had a long shot bounce in for a save in the 80th minute, had another lengthy try blocked away just a minute later and missed wide right from the left wing at 86:02.

The Longhorns had one more chance to break up the shutout at 88:51, but freshman forward Tati Fung's 20+ yard attempt traveled right into DeLisle's arms for a save.