The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 23 Soccer earns three Big 12 Conference weekly awards
10.11.2022 | Soccer
Byars, Brooks & Madden reaped Texas’ fifth, sixth and seventh Big 12 weekly honors of the 2022 season
AUSTIN, Texas – The latest release of the weekly league soccer awards boasted a definitive Burnt Orange hue as No. 23 Texas (10-1-3, 4-0-1 Big 12 Conference) sophomore forward Trinity Byars was named the Big 12 Conference's Offensive Player of the Week, fifth-year senior defender Cameron Brooks was tabbed as the Big 12 Conference's Defensive Player of the Week and graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden was chosen as the Big 12 Conference Goalkeeper of the Week for Oct. 11.
For Byars, this marks her fourth career league offensive player of the week honor (third of 2022) and her seventh total Big 12 weekly accolade. Madden has now reaped back-to-back nods as the Big 12's Goalkeeper of the Week (six career), while Brooks earned her first league defensive player of the week award.
Also named to College Soccer News' Women's National Team of the Week for Oct. 10, Byars switched gears this past weekend from goal scorer to distributor during the league home sweep of Kansas State (W, 4-0) and Kansas (W, 2-0). The Richardson, Texas, native was directly involved in five of Texas' six goals by dishing five combined assists over the two contests.
Included was a career-high three-assist effort on Thursday during the Burnt Orange & White's rout of the Wildcats, highlighted by a pass that started the action on Brooks' eventual 68th minute match winner. On Sunday, during the 2-0 blanking of Kansas, she made key final passes that directly led to both Mackenzie McFarland and Jilly Shimkin's goals over a 2:22 stretch of the second half. Byars currently leads the Big 12 in goals (11), assists (nine) and total points (31).
Madden continued her standout play between the pipes by making seven combined saves while posting consecutive shutouts of Kansas State & Kansas. In the process, the San Diego, Calif., native stretched her shutout streak in goal to four consecutive matches and 380:48 of match time dating back to Sept. 22.
She was forced to make five saves in blanking Kansas State, but none proved bigger than her tone-setting stop just 2:14 into the match as the net minder leapt high to deflect Kyler Goins' 22-yard blast over the cross bar. On Sunday against Kansas, Madden stopped both Jayhawk shots on frame to move into a tie for third all-time in the Texas career record book with 23 solo shutouts.
Brooks managed key contributions both offensively and defensively for Texas against Kansas State & Kansas. The Round Rock, Texas, product played 152 of 180 possible minutes in the back line while helping the Longhorns "D" run its consecutive shutout streak to four straight contests and 380:48 total minutes of match action. Offensively, Brooks also scored two goals and dished two assists for a team-high six total points on just four shots (two on frame). Included was her first career brace (two goals) and an assist on Thursday during the rout of KSU.
With the match against the Wildcats still scoreless in the 68th minute, Brooks drove up the left wing to within a couple of yards of the end line before blasting an 18-yard shot from a ridiculous angle that somehow beat Wildcat goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer at her near post. After scoring again from six yards out just 5:23 later to make it 3-0, Brooks managed an assist on Trinity Byars' 82nd minute score that finalized the 4-0 rout. On Sunday versus Kansas, Brooks delivered a long throw-in to Byars near the top of the box, starting the action that directly led to Jilly Shimkin's 58th minute insurance goal and a 2-0 advantage.
Texas preps to head back out on the road in Big 12 play by venturing to Morgantown, W. Va., on Thurs., Oct. 13, to battle West Virginia (4-3-6, 1-0-3 Big 12 Conference) at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium at 4 p.m. CT.
