The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 17 Soccer’s Byars & Missimo on Top Drawer Soccer Best XI teams
12.14.2022 | Soccer
The duo set program single-season records for goals (Byars) & assists (Missimo) during the 2022 season
AUSTIN, Texas – Two Texas student-athletes earned spots on Top Drawer Soccer's 2022 National Best XI Teams as sophomore forward Trinity Byars was named to the first team, while sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo earned a third team nod.
This marks the duo's second consecutive Top Drawer Soccer postseason accolade after each player earned a selection last year to Top Drawer Soccer's 2021 National Freshman Best XI First Team.
In becoming the second United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American in program history, Byars went attack mode on the Longhorns single-season record book during an impressive sophomore campaign. The Richardson, Texas, native broke former Longhorns All-American Kelly Wilson's 2004 single-season goal-scoring record with 17 goals and finished just four points from breaking Wilson's single-season point-scoring mark (46 points – 16 goals, 14 assists). Byars led the Big 12 Conference in goals (17 goals) and points (43), while finishing second in the league to her teammate Missimo for assists (nine). Overall, she finished the year ranked third in all of NCAA Division I in points, sixth in goals and 23rd in assists.
Along the way, the 2022 Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year registered at least one point in 16-of-21 matches played, posted a record-tying, nine-match point-scoring streak from Sept. 25 to Oct. 30 and scored a goal in five consecutive contests (one from tying her own record of six straight matches from Sept. 12-30, 2021) from Oct. 13 at West Virginia through Oct. 30 against K-State. She managed three multi-goal efforts, including braces against Florida and Texas Tech as well as the program's 16th all-time hat trick during an 8-0 rout of Texas Southern. Byars demonstrated the clutch gene by scoring seven match-winning goals to finish in a tie for first in all of NCAA Division I. Included was a 62nd minute goal at Oklahoma State, to complete a 2-1 win and clinch the program's first Big 12 Conference regular-season title since 2001, as well as a 65th minute goal to help lead Texas past rival Texas A&M in NCAA First Round action, 3-1.
A two-time All-Big 12 Conference First Team and a 2022 United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-Midwest Region choice, Missimo scored six goals and dished a Big 12-leading 15 assists for 27 points despite missing almost six full league contests because of injury. The 15 assists rated third in all of NCAA Division I and broke the school single-season record of 14 helpers formerly shared by Missimo (2021) and Texas All-American Kelly Wilson (2004). Off to another strong start to the season prior to suffering an injury early in the first half at No. 12 TCU (Sept. 22), the Southlake, Texas, native returned with a vengeance by registering a goal and seven assists over UT's final seven contests. Overall, Missimo tallied at least one point in 12-of-17 matches played and managed two streaks of four consecutive matches with a point from Sept. 8-18 & Oct. 20-30. Included was a brace in a 5-0 win over UTRGV (Sept. 11), that helped her earn Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week honors, a three-assist performance during the 8-0 rout of Texas Southern (Sept. 15) and a four-point effort in a 4-0 victory over Kansas State in the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.
