No. 16 Soccer’s season ends on late goal at No. 8 Duke, 1-0

Friday, November 18

Durham, NC

5:30 p.m.

University of Texas

15-3-4, 7-0-2

No. 8 Duke

14-4-3, 6-2-2

Texas

Duke

No. 16 Soccer’s season ends on late goal at No. 8 Duke, 1-0

11.18.2022 | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

The Longhorns cap a historic, Big 12 Conference regular season title-winning campaign at 15-3-4 overall

DURHAM, N.C. – On a cold Friday night in NCAA Second Round action at Koskinen Stadium, No. 8 Duke (14-4-3) scored an 88th minute goal to end No. 16 Texas' (15-3-4) historic 2022 season, 1-0.

During the campaign, the Longhorns managed to win the program's second Big 12 Conference regular season title, post a school-record 17-match unbeaten streak, go unbeaten in league play for the second consecutive year and finish with the second-best winning percentage in UT history at .773 (trailing only 2006 - .780).

Texas Match Notes

Texas completed the 2022 season by setting a new program single-season record for corner kicks (167), while ranking second in UT history in assists (58) and third in both goals (54) and points (166).
Texas' three losses marked the fewest for the Longhorns in a single year in program history.
Fifth-year senior midfielder Emma Regan finished her career on the Forty Acres riding a streak of 80 consecutive starts dating back to 2018. Her 90 career matches played rank in a tie for fourth all-time in UT history, while her 89 starts are good for third in the career record book.
Sophomore forward Trinity Byars (17 goals) and sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo (15 assists) completed 2022 as the Texas single-season record holders for goals and assists, respectively.
Texas dropped to 9-16-2 all-time (16 appearances) in NCAA Tournament play, 2-3-2 in NCAA Second Round matches and 1-4-0 all-time against Duke.
Duke out-shot Texas in the match by a total of 20-7, including 5-2 in shots on goal, and led 9-2 in corner kicks.
The Longhorns really spread the scoring around in 2022 as 11 different Texas players scored goals while 15 registered at least one point.

The Details

After good early pressure from the Longhorns, it was a turnover that almost came back to hurt Texas in the seventh minute. Off an errant pass in the back, Duke's Mackenzie Pluck took off towards the top of the 18. UT fifth-year senior defender Mackenzie McFarland raced back quickly to thwart a building 1-v-1 opportunity by pressuring Pluck into striking a 14-yard shot wide right of frame.

Just seconds later, the Blue Devils threatened again by firing three shots in quick succession. Of a cross from the right wing, Pluck drove a seven-yard header into the ground that was deflected out front by Madden. Back in possession, Pluck rattled a follow-up try off the woodwork. An additional follow-up from Kat Rader eventually traveled well over the cross bar.

Texas managed its first shot at 9:13 as fifth-year senior midfielder Emma Regan tried her luck from 20 yards out, but missed high and wide right.

The Blue Devils were back at it during the 16th minute as Rader had a 19-yard shot blocked, and Michelle Cooper followed with a 20-yard effort that rolled outside the left post. At 17:18, Madden managed to leap near the right post and catch a Maggie Graham shot from just inside the box.

With Duke leading on shots heading into the 38th minute by an 8-1 count, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo fired from 25+ yards out, but struck her effort high and wide right.

Out of the halftime break, it was Duke turning up the early pressure as Pluck missed wide right at both 47:09 & 48:18.

The Longhorns earned their first corner kick of the match at 49:44. Missimo fed a ball into the middle, but sophomore defender EmJ Cox's 11-yard header was mis-hit and rolled wide left.

After Cooper forced a routine Madden save from distance at 54:07, a UT giveaway in the back handed the Duke forward another chance from 22 yards out. Fortunately for the Longhorns, Cooper's falling-down effort at 55:20 rolled just outside the left post.

The Blue Devils were thwarted again by the wood work at 64:07 as Devin Lynch's 22-yard shot from outside the top of the box rattled off the top of the cross bar.

Sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin fought hard in the 69th minute to earn Texas a free kick just a yard outside the top right edge of the box. Off the set piece, Missimo fed the ball towards the back post where Cox headed wide left, but the official's flag was already up signaling off side.

During the 72nd minute, a cutting pass out on the right wing was settled beautifully by Texas senior forward Sydney Nobles. The Southlake, Texas, product delivered a feed into the box to Shimkin who made a quick move to her left past her marker. Unfortunately, her left-footed, 11-yard shot traveled right to Duke goalkeeper Ruthie Jones for a save.

The Blue Devils threatened again at 77:55 as a cross from the left wing flew across the top of the six. Racing into the play, Rader attempted a quick sliding volley, but had her shot blocked over the cross bar for a corner.

Off a Texas corner kick at 79:58, Nobles had a 13-yard header blocked away as Duke worked hard to clear its lines.

The 83rd minute proved worrisome for the Longhorns as a dangerous Duke cross from the right wing flew tantalizingly across the goal mouth. Just seconds later, Rader launched a 22-yard shot over the wood work and out for a goal kick.

UT sophomore forward Trinity Byars tried to get loose off a long ball during the 86th minute. The Richardson, Texas, native worked hard to create space, but her 11-yard shot from the left side was blocked and cleared.

With time running short in regulation, Cox made a great defensive play during the 88th minute to slide and block a Maggie Graham shot out for a corner.

On the ensuing set piece, Pluck delivered a feed in towards the back post. Katie Groff was positioned perfectly and managed to leap over the crowd to head a seven-yard shot back across goal and into the left side netting to give Duke a shock, 1-0 advantage at 87:42.

Suddenly chasing an equalizer, Texas had one final chance to get on the board in the final seconds, but Regan's lengthy shot was corralled by Jones to conclude the contest.