No. 23 Soccer posts fourth-straight shutout in blanking Kansas, 2-0

Sunday, October 9

Austin, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

10-1-3, 4-0-1

Kansas

7-7-1, 0-4-1

Kansas

Texas

No. 23 Soccer posts fourth-straight shutout in blanking Kansas, 2-0

10.09.2022 | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

Fifth-year senior forward Mackenzie McFarland & sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin both scored for Texas

AUSTIN, Texas – The victories keep piling up for No. 23 Texas soccer (10-1-3, 4-0-1 Big 12 Conference) as the Longhorns utilized second-half goals from fifth-year senior forward Mackenzie McFarland and sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin to roll past Kansas (7-7-1, 0-4-1 Big 12 Conference) on Sunday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium, 2-0.

Texas Match Notes

Texas registered its fourth consecutive shutout to tie a school single-season record set previously by the 2008, 2019 & 2021 Longhorns.
Texas' defense is riding a scoreless streak of 380:48 dating back to the second half of the 1-1 tie at No. 12 TCU (Sept. 22).
Texas played without the services of injured sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo (day-to-day with a lower leg injury) for the fourth consecutive match.
At 10-1-3 overall, Texas is off to its best 14-match start to a campaign since going 11-1-2 to begin the 2017 season.
Texas stretched its program record Big 12 Conference regular-season unbeaten streak to 14 straight matches (10-0-4) dating back to the beginning of the 2021 league campaign. UT hasn't lost a Big 12 regular-season match in 702 days.
Texas extended its 2022 unbeaten streak to 12 matches (9-0-3) dating back to Aug. 28 against Florida. That ties the 2002 Longhorns for the fourth-longest unbeaten skein in program history.
Sophomore forward Trinity Byars continued to roll offensively by registering two more assists to give her five helpers over the weekend (vs. Kansas State & Kansas) and a Big 12-best nine assists overall.
McFarland scored her first goal and match-winner of the 2022 season, while Shimkin tickled the twine for the fourth time this year to move into fourth on the squad in the category.
Graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden tied Texas-Ex Nicole Curry for third in the UT career record book by making two saves while registering her 23rd career shutout.
The Longhorns out-shot the Jayhawks, 19-9, including 7-2 in shots on goal, and held a 12-1 advantage on corner kicks.
Texas improved to 19-8-3 all-time against Kansas, including 9-3-1 in matches in Austin. UT has had the best of the recent series, going 4-1-1 over the last six match-ups.
Texas moved to 9-0-1 this season when winning the possession battle against its opponent after posting a 60-40% advantage over Kansas.

The Details

Texas created the match's first scoring chances of the contest during the fourth minute. Sophomore forward Holly Ward got things started by driving up the left side and firing a 10-yard shot that was blocked over the end line for a corner. Off the set piece, fifth-year senior Cameron Brooks faced her own chance from 10 yards out on the left wing but hammered her shot into the side netting.

A Kansas turnover nearly kick-started a ninth-minute breakthrough for the Longhorns. Off the Jayhawks errant pass, Shimkin had a 20-yard effort from out front blocked over for a corner. On the ensuing feed into the middle, UT sophomore defender EmJ Cox outleapt everyone but watched her seven-yard header rattle off the left post before KU could clear its lines.

Kansas managed its first shot at the 13:59 mark as Rylan Childers blasted a 22-yard effort wide left of ftame.

After Ward forced KU goalkeeper Melania Pasar into action off an eight-yard header at 17:07, Kansas' Kate Dreyer (19:25) blasted a 40+ yard free kick straight into Madden's waiting arms for a save.

During the 25th minute, Kansas delivered a long ball up field that eluded the head of a leaping Texas defender before dropping directly in front of Lexi Watts. With a potential 1-v-1 situation brewing, UT junior defender Lauren Lapomarda raced over and made a perfect slide tackle on Watts to prevent a KU shot.

Texas missed a scoring chance off a ball bouncing around in the left side of the 18-yard box at 26:59. Byars ended up in possession about 12 yards out, turned quickly and tried her luck only to watch her attempt sail high of the cross bar.

The Burnt Orange & White continued to fire away down the stretch of the first half as Brooks (37:08), senior forward Teni Akindoju (38:39) and senior forward Sydney Nobles (40:03) all had shots either blocked or venture high.

Arguably the best scoring chance for either team over the opening 45 minutes came at 43:58 as Akindoju took possession at the top of the box, turned quickly and drove a 17-yard try just a foot outside the right post.

Out of the locker room, Texas continued to press with Cox having a header blocked out for a corner at 49:14, and McFarland missing just wide left on a back-heeled flick from 11 yards at 52:28.

Against the run of play, the Jayhawks nearly grabbed the lead at 53:27 as Watts' shot from 17 yards out in the top right edge of the box rolled just a couple of feet outside the left post.

The scoreless deadlock was finally broken at 55:06 as McFarland registered her first goal of the season. Byars started things by taking possession in the middle of the pitch and driving to her right. The Richardson, Texas, native fed a perfect through ball up the right wing to McFarland who drove into the right side of the box and beat Pasar into the far left corner from 12 yards to make it 1-0.

Just 25 seconds later, Kansas came within inches of answering right back as Kate Dreyer rattled a 10-yard shot off the cross bar.

The back-and-forth contest continued at 57:28 as the Longhorns made it two goals over a stretch of just 2:22 while doubling their lead.

Off a long Brooks throw-in from the left side line, Byars took possession at the top of the box and back-heeled a pass directly into the path of a charging Shimkin. The Rockville Centre, N.Y., native took a couple of dribbles to the left edge of the six-yard box before making it 2-0 by beating Pasar at the left post.

Over the final 19:44 of the second half, Kansas managed five total shots. However, all of them either traveled high or wide of frame or were blocked and cleared by the Texas defense to preserve the shutout.