Soccer opens Big 12 Conference play with 2-0 road win at Kansas State

Thursday, September 23

Manhattan, Kan.

7 p.m. CT

University of Texas

5-3-2, 1-0-0

Kansas State

5-5-0, 0-1-0

Texas

Kansas St.

Soccer opens Big 12 Conference play with 2-0 road win at Kansas State

09.23.2021 | Soccer

Box Score

Trinity Byars and Julia Grosso each scored first-half goals for the Longhorns in the victory

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Make it four straight wins and a successful start to Big 12 Conference play as Texas soccer (5-3-2, 1-0-0 Big 12) rode first-half goals from freshman forward Trinity Byars and senior midfielder Julia Grosso to a 2-0 road win over Kansas State (5-5-0, 0-1-0 Big 12) on Thursday night at Buser Family Park.

Texas Team Notes

With tonight's goal, Byars has registered five combined scores over Texas' last four matches.
"Run BMG" – The trio of Byars, Missimo and Grosso have now combined to score 12 of Texas' last 14 goals and 16 of Texas' 20 overall goals this season (80%).
Grosso's goal was her fourth of the season and the 19th of her illustrious Texas career.
Kansas State didn't manage its first shot until the 60th minute and ended the match with just one shot on goal.
Texas is now 15-9-2 all-time in Big 12 Conference openers and 7-2-1 under the guidance of 10th year head coach Angela Kelly.
UT is now 6-0-0 all-time against Kansas State, including 3-0-0 at Buser Family Park in Manhattan, Kan. Texas has still never allowed a Wildcat goal, out-scoring KSU by a combined total of 17-0.

The Details

It was Byars with the first real chance for either team in the 14th minute as her 19-yard bending shot from the left side traveled just outside the top right corner.

With only two combined shots on the board through 27 minutes, it was Texas that eventually struck at 27:04. Off hard work in the back by sophomore defender Morgan Pace and back-tracking senior forward Mackenzie McFarland, Grosso eventually started up-field from deep in Longhorns defensive territory. She fed a long pass up the right wing to an on-the-run Byars. The Richardson, Texas, native showed off her impressive speed by dribbling around her marker and moving into the box 1-v-1. As the KSU keeper raced off her line, Byars blasted a 15-yard shot off the inside of the left post that ricocheted all the way across the goal mouth before settling in the right side netting to make it 1-0.

The Longhorns soon doubled their advantage to 2-0 in the 37th minute. McFarland again started the play by controlling a ball out on the right side and passing to Grosso. The Canadian international dribbled into the right edge of the box, beat a KSU defender and drove in 1-v-1 on goal before drilling a six-yard shot into the left side of goal.

With 5:40 remaining in the opening half, KSU's Caylee Thornhill created the Wildcats' most dangerous opportunity of the match to that point. Racing up the left wing, she crossed a ball across the top of the six-yard box. Fortunately for Texas, sophomore defender Lauren Lapomarda was waiting to clear the ball out of danger before any potential shot.

Texas had another scoring opportunity develop with just 14 seconds left in the first stanza. Senior defender Carlee Allen worked into space out on the left wing, but her eventual leaping nine-yard volley traveled right to Kansas State keeper Alaina Werremeyer.

Right out of the break, it was Kansas State that earned a quick corner at 46:40. Off the set piece, KSU had two players leap high in the right side of the box, but neither could get off a shot as a Wildcat foul ended the threat.

Texas freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo tried her luck off a free kick at 50:51, but the Southlake, Texas, product's lengthy try from the right wing drifted high and wide right.

Kansas State finally managed its first shot of the entire match at the 59:08 mark, and it caused a few hearts to skip a beat in Manhattan. Adah Anderson took possession about 25 yards out and hammered a shot at goal that rattled off the crossbar before being cleared.

At the other end, Texas had the ball in the back of the net again at 62:19 as Missimo delivered a perfect cross to McFarland who volleyed home from five yards out. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the official along the sideline had his flag up signaling offside.

Byars continued threatening for Texas at both 66:47 and 72:13, but her blasts from the top of the box proved right to Werremeyer for saves.

Freshman forwards Holly Ward and Tati Fung kept the pressure on for the Horns in the 80th minute as their shots were blocked away by the KSU defense.

Kansas State forced Madden to make one more stop to preserve the clean sheet at 84:34 as Roo Yarnell-Williams drove a ball from 25 yards out in the middle that the fifth-year senior goalkeeper had to tip up-and-over the crossbar.