No. 16 Soccer races past Texas A&M in NCAA First Round, 3-1

Friday, November 11

Austin, Texas

5 p.m. CT

University of Texas

15-2-4, 7-0-2

Texas A&M

9-7-5, 3-4-3

Team	1	2	Final F
Texas A&M	0	1	1
Texas	1	2	3

No. 16 Soccer races past Texas A&M in NCAA First Round, 3-1

11.11.2022 | Soccer

Box Score

The Longhorns got goals from Jilly Shimkin, Trinity Byars & Ashlyn Miller to eliminate the Aggies

AUSTIN, Texas – With temperatures plummeting into the upper 40's and winds gusting above 30 mph on Friday night in NCAA Tournament First Round action at Mike A. Myers Stadium, No. 16 Texas soccer (15-2-4) utilized goals from sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin, sophomore forward Trinity Byars and sophomore midfielder Ashlyn Miller to eliminate longtime rival Texas A&M (9-7-5), 3-1.

Texas Match Notes

By scoring her 17th goal of the season, Byars broke former Texas All-American Kelly Wilson's old school single-record of 16 goals set back in 2004.
Sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo also made single-season school history by recording her 15th assist of the year to break the old mark of 14 helpers shared by Missimo (2021) and Wilson (2004).
The Longhorns offense is closing in on some major program single-season records. With 54 goals in 2022, Texas needs just four more to break the 2002 school mark of 57. With 58 assists, the Burnt Orange & White need just five more to break the 2004 school record of 62. With 166 points, UT needs just seven more points to break the 2002 & 2004 shared mark of 172 points.
Byars' goal was her seventh match-winner of the season to move her into a tie for first in NCAA Division I in the category alongside Dayton's Itala Gemelli.
Shimkin's goal was her seventh of the season (tied for second on the squad), while Miller scored her first goal in over a year since tickling the twine against TCU in the Big 12 Championship Final back on Nov. 7, 2021.
Texas' three goals against Texas A&M marked the most for the Longhorns in a NCAA Tournament match since knocking off North Texas in the NCAA First Round back in 2017, 3-0.
Texas improved to 2-1 all-time against Texas A&M in NCAA Tournament play and secured its first overall NCAA Tournament win since 2017.
Making its 16th overall appearance in the event, Texas improved to 9-15-2 in NCAA play and 5-4-0 in tournament matches held in Austin.
Texas is now unbeaten in its last 57 matches (56-0-1) when scoring two-or-more goals dating back to the start of the 2017 season.

The Details

After a feeling out process, it was Texas that created the best of the early chances. The Longhorns nearly unlocked the Texas A&M defense in the eighth minute as a long ball up field into a stout headwind from sophomore defender EmJ Cox dropped near the top of the 18-yard box. With a step on her marker, Byars was almost able to break in 1-v-1, but Aggie keeper Kenna Caldwell raced off her line to just beat the UT forward to the ball and smother it to prevent a shot.

Byars did get off a shot at 9:33 as her 15-yard attempt was tipped straight up in the air by Caldwell and caught.

With a battle for the midfield in full swing, Byars continued to cause A&M problems as the Richardson, Texas, native was dragged down for a foul just a yard outside the top of the box. Off the ensuing free kick in the 12th minute, Shimkin stepped up and bent a 19-yard shot into the left edge of the twine to grant the Longhorns an early 1-0 lead.

The Aggies nearly answered back at 12:08 as Carissa Boeckmann tried a blast from the top of the box but watched it travel wide right of frame.

Texas A&M created another dangerous opportunity during the 24th minute as Boeckmann drove up the left wing and crossed a ball into the middle that was deflected back out front. Georgia Leb corralled the loose ball and fired from 30 yards out only to have the shot blocked and cleared away.

At 30:59, Byars came within a foot of doubling the Texas advantage only to have her 14-yard effort from the right side of the box roll just outside the left post.

Longhorns goalkeeper Savannah Madden came through with a clutch save at 35:48 as the graduate student leapt high to tip Andersen Williams' 18-yard attempt over the cross bar.

Just 30 seconds out of the halftime locker room, Texas came close to adding another. In possession inside the 18, Byars managed to dance to her left around a charging Caldwell. Continuing to evade Texas A&M's defensive pressure, she eventually drove back to her right, but couldn't get a lot of pace on a 14-yard shot as Aggie defender Karlina Sample managed to clear the potential goal off the line.

Missimo nearly got on the scoresheet for UT at 48:44, but the Southlake, Texas, native saw her 14-yard try rattle off the cross bar before being gathered by the keeper.

With Texas pressing hard, it was the Longhorns defense that was victimized for Texas A&M's lone goal at 57:33. In possession a couple of yards inside the right edge of the box, Maile Hayes was judged to have been fouled as the referee pointed to the spot. Hayes stepped up and blasted her PK dead center of goal just inches under the cross bar to tie the match at 1-1.

Suddenly facing a tie contest, Byars continued to wreak havoc during the 60th minute. Off a quick break up field, Missimo delivered a through ball to her tightly-marked teammate entering the top of the box. Byars managed to get off a 14-yard shot, but again Caldwell deflected the ball up the in air before making the catch.

Finally at 64:11, Byars struck pay dirt to break the school single-season record with her 17th goal. Miller started the play deep out on the left wing as the McKinney, Texas, product delivered an entry pass into the middle. Byars took possession, made a quick dart to her left and raced past her marker to score from eight yards out for a 2-1 lead.

Just 1:36 later, the Burnt Orange & White missed a golden chance for a third. Off a Byars cross from near the right end line, Miller tried a quick volley from six yards out, but lifted her shot up-and-over the woodwork.

Texas continued to fire away as sophomore defender EmJ Cox had a 13-yard header saved on a Caldwell dive at 71:29.

Cox also went wide left with a header at 73:52, while Missimo had a 12-yard shot from the right side of the box blocked out for a corner at 77:22.

The Longhorns eventually finalized their offensive output off a corner at 78:48. Missimo drove the set piece in towards the top of the six. The feed deflected off fifth-year senior defender Carlee Allen's head and out to the left of the box. Racing into the play, Miller roofed a seven-yard volley into the top of the twine to boost Texas' advantage to 3-1.

Texas A&M created one final chance against the Texas defense as Hayes drove a 19-yard try straight into Madden arms for a save at 82:21.

From there, UT did a solid job of possessing the ball to run out the clock on its NCAA Tournament First Round victory.