No. 22 Soccer fights back to win at West Virginia, 2-1

Thursday, October 13

Morgantown, W. Va.

4 p.m. CT

University of Texas

11-1-3, 5-0-1

West Virginia

4-4-6, 1-1-3

Texas

West Virginia

No. 22 Soccer fights back to win at West Virginia, 2-1

10.13.2022 | Soccer

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Goals from sophomores Jilly Shimkin & Trinity Byars rallied the Longhorns to victory

MORGANTOWN W. Va. – On Thursday night at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, No. 22 Texas soccer (11-1-3, 5-0-1 Big 12 Conference) utilized goals from sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin and sophomore forward Trinity Byars to battle past West Virginia (4-4-6, 1-1-3 Big 12 Conference), 2-1.

Texas Match Notes

Texas stretched its program record Big 12 Conference regular-season unbeaten streak to 15 straight contests (11-0-4) dating back to the beginning of the 2021 league campaign. UT now hasn't lost a Big 12 regular-season match in 706 days.
Texas extended its 2022 unbeaten streak to 13 matches (10-0-3) dating back to Aug. 28 against Florida. That ties the 2006 & 2017 Longhorns for the second-longest unbeaten skein in program history.
At 11-1-3 overall, Texas is off to its best 15-match start to a campaign since going 12-1-2 to begin the 2017 season.
Texas improved to 52-0-1 over the last 53 matches in which it scored two-or-more goals in a match.
Big 12-leading goal scorer Trinity Byars tied her career single-season high with her 12th goal of the season, while Jilly Shimkin recorded her fifth goal and sixth assist of the campaign.
West Virginia's goal at the 21:52 mark ended Texas' shutout streak at 402:40 of match time that dated back to Sept. 22 at No. 12 TCU.
Texas' win marked the program's first ever in Morgantown and improved the Horns to 3-9-3 all-time against the Mountaineers.

The Details

Texas had the best of the early possession with numerous dangerous crosses into the middle over the opening six minutes. Fifth-year senior midfielder Emma Regan eventually registered Texas' first shot of the contest as her 22-yard blast at 6:12 traveled straight to WVU goalkeeper Kayza Massey.

Off a long free kick from near the left sideline, UT sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin blasted a shot in straight on frame forcing Massey to leap and make a catch at 11:09.

West Virginia registered its initial shot of the match at 14:56. Off a cross from the right wing to the back post, Lauren Segalla found herself in some space, but she struck her eight-yard header directly to Texas graduate student net minder Savannah Madden.

Unfortunately, the next time the Mountaineers tried a header on frame, they didn't miss. In the 22nd minute, Lilly McCarthy took possession and drove towards the left end line before crossing into the middle. Racing in near the top of the six was Dilary Heredia-Beltran to head a five-yard shot into the twine for a 1-0 advantage.

Chaos ensued in the 34th minute as a long ball up field dropped directly in front of Byars. The Richardson, Texas, native beat a charging Massey to the ball and juked around the keeper. Facing a wide open net, Byars continued to dribble in closer, but was hauled down by West Virginia's Jordan Brewster before she could get off a shot. The head referee blew her whistle for a penalty and showed Brewster a straight red card. After a lengthy delay, Shimkin stepped up and drove the spot kick into the top left corner to tie the match at 1-1.

Off a Texas corner at 40:58, sophomore defender EmJ Cox forced Massey back into action as the Dallas, Texas, native's seven-yard header was caught out of the air near the right post.

Back at the other end at 42:26, West Virginia's Emily Thompson attempted to bend a 20-yard shot into the upper left 90 at 42:26 but watched her shot travel wide.

Out of the halftime break, UT sophomore midfielder Ashlyn Miller tried a shot from nine yards out on the right side at 47:57, but Massey was positioned near the right post to make a save.

During the 55th minute, a dangerous Texas cross from the left found senior forward Teni Akindoju driving in near the right post, but the Halifax, Nova Scotia native's shot was saved over the end line for a corner.

With the Longhorns offense swarming against the Mountaineers, UT eventually looked to the reigning United Soccer Coaches Division I National Player of the Week to secure its first lead of the night. In possession about 40 yards out, Shimkin quickly drove up field before delivering a perfect through ball to Byars just inside the top of the box. The Big 12 Conference's leading scorer wasted no time beating Massey into the right side of the twine from nine yards out to make it 2-1.

Just 1:53 later, West Virginia had a chance of its own as Heredia-Beltran bent a 17-yard effort outside the upper left 90.

After Shimkin had an 18-yard shot just miss outside the top left corner at 70:41, Texas came within inches of grabbing a third goal at 71:09. Off a short corner, Shimkin delivered a cross in near the penalty spot. Cox leapt above the crowd and rattled a header off the cross bar before the Mountaineers could clear their lines.

Byars swiped an errant pass about 35 yards from goal in the 77th minute and drove into the box. With the West Virginia defense rallying to cover, she tried a shot from 15 yards but mis-hit it wide right of frame.

Texas continued to apply strong pressure as Miller launched a 24-yard attempt over the cross bar at 78:19.

With under 10 minutes left, UT sophomore forward Holly Ward and Shimkin combined for some hard work in one of the offensive corners as the duo helped the Longhorns burn at least two minutes off the clock.

West Virginia earned a corner kick with approximately five minutes remaining. On the delivery into the box, Lauren Segalla drove a 14-yard header on frame, but Madden was perfectly placed for a catch at the left post.

Segalla created another WVU scoring opportunity at 87:09, but her 12-yard shot ventured wide left of frame.

A Texas foul gave West Virginia one final chance from near midfield with just 15 seconds on the clock. On the delivery into the box, the Longhorns managed to knock the ball down and clear it back up near midfield as the final seconds ticked off in a historic win in Morgantown.