Soccer battles past Florida, 3-2

Sunday, August 28

Austin, Texas

3 p.m. CT

University of Texas

2-1-0, 0-0-0

Florida

1-3-0, 0-0-0

Florida

Texas

08.28.2022 | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

Sophomore forward Trinity Byars managed a brace (two goals) including the match-winning score at 79:22

AUSTIN, Texas – Locked in a tie with time running short on a blisteringly hot Sunday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium, Texas soccer (2-1-0) got a key match-winning goal from sophomore forward Trinity Byars at the 79:22 mark to complete her brace (two goals) and secure a 3-2 victory over Florida (1-3-0).

Texas Match Notes

Sophomore forward Trinity Byars registered a brace (two goals) for the fourth multi-goal match of her brief Texas career. She also dished an assist against the Gators for five total points.
Fifth-year senior defender Emma Regan scored the second goal of her Texas career and her first from the run of play. Her previous tally came off a penalty kick against Kansas State back on Oct. 9, 2020.
Freshman forward Liz Worden managed her first collegiate two-assist effort, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo picked up her third helper of the year (tied with Worden for the team lead) and junior defender Lauren Lapomarda picked up her second career assist (first since Oct. 8, 2021, vs. Iowa State).
With 19 career assists over 28 matches, Missimo has already moved into seventh all-time for career assists in Texas program history.
Texas has now won 44 consecutive matches in which the squad scored two-or-more goals dating back to the start of the 2017 campaign.
Texas is now 31-22-4 following a loss (total doesn't carry over losses from the end of a season to the next) under the guidance of 11th-year head coach Angela Kelly.
Texas improved to 1-0-1 all-time against Florida and 38-32-10 versus the Southeastern Conference.
The Longhorns are 37-4-3 since the start of the 2018 season when scoring first in a match and 33-17 over their last 50 one-goal matches.
Texas out-shot Florida by a total of 19-13, but the teams tied 8-8 in shots on goal. The Longhorns held a 6-4 advantage on corner kicks.

The Details

Texas wasted little time getting its offense started on Sunday against the Gators as Byars forced Florida keeper Alexa Goldberg into making a diving stop at the right post just 24 seconds into the contest.

During the fourth minute, it was Worden getting in on the Texas attack as the Riverside, Calif., native blasted a 15-yard shot from the left side of the box that was parried by the diving keeper out to her left and over the end line. On the ensuing corner at 3:28, sophomore defender EmJ Cox beat everyone in the air to head a shot from the top of the six, but her effort proved well wide left.

After Florida nearly broke in through a 1-v-1 situation, Texas took off on a counter during the sixth minute. Regan drove a long ball up the right wing directly into the path of sophomore forward Holly Ward. The North Vancouver, British Columbia, product broke into the right side of the 18-yard box in her own developing 1-v-1 situation, but struck her 10-yard effort just a foot outside the left post.

Against the run of play, it was the Gators that would break in front at the 10:31 mark. UF's Kouri Peace moved up the right wing before crossing a ball into the middle of the box. Waiting to rattle a 10-yard shot off the inside of the left post was Tessa Barton as Florida grabbed the early, 1-0 advantage.

It only took 1:29 for the Longhorns to locate the equalizer and deadlock things at 1-1. Missimo began the play from the top of the box by passing out wide left to Worden. The rookie forward fed a ball into the middle of the 18 to Byars who pivoted quickly near the penalty spot and hammered her own shot off the inside of the right post and into the twine for her first goal of the 2022 campaign.

With the Burnt Orange & White back on the front foot, UT quickly re-took the lead at the 24:17 mark. Fifth-year senior forward Mackenzie McFarland did great work to save a ball near the right end line before passing back to junior defender Lauren Lapomarda. The Prosper, Texas, native found Byars who then located Regan standing just outside the top of the box, and the Canadian international hammered a shot into the right side of the goal to make it 2-1.

Florida almost tied things up off a corner in the 42nd minute as a 15-yard shot from Julianne Leskauskas was tipped up and over the bar by leaping Texas graduate senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden.

Just 1:30 later, a poor Texas backline pass opened the door for the equalizer. Leskauskas pounced on the turnover just inside the top of the box and beat Madden from 16 yards out to make it 2-2.

Out of the halftime break, it was Texas that created the first solid chance of the second stanza at 47:43. Fifth-year senior defender Cameron Brooks crossed a ball from the left wing into the middle, but a sliding Missimo couldn't keep her shot down as it lifted up and over the woodwork.

Florida missed its own golden opportunity at 48:26 as Alivia Gonzalez broke in towards the top of the 18 in a developing 1-v-1 situation. Her eventual 20-yard shot was mis-hit and traveled harmlessly right into Madden's arms.

The Longhorns battled to work the ball back inside the 18 during the 55th minute but couldn't get off a shot within the scrum out front. In possession out on the right side, sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin eventually tried her luck from 14 yards but hit her shot right at Goldberg.

Another turnover nearly came back to haunt Texas at 56:40 as UF's Barton nabbed a loose ball in the back. She fired a nine-yard shot from the left side that was deflected by sliding fifth-year senior defender Carlee Allen before being kicked away over the end line by Madden.

McFarland had a golden chance to get on the board in the 62nd minute after senior forward Teni Akindoju dropped a perfect long ball right into the speedster's path. In space behind the back line, the Coppell, Texas, native dribbled to the top of the box. Unfortunately, her last touch in the developing 1-v-1 situation proved too heavy as Goldberg raced off her line to cover.

With both teams seriously threatening, it was Texas that finally grabbed the advantage at 79:22. Worden beat her marker on the left wing and delivered a cross to the left post. Waiting to head the ball just inside the woodwork was Byars as her five-yard shot completed her brace and granted the Horns a 3-2 lead.

UT almost added more at 82:31 and 84:22. First, Missimo had a 12-yard chip shot go over the top. Then, Byars' 85th minute try from the middle of the 18 was just deflected away by a defender for a corner.

With time running short, Florida came desperately close to tying the match at 88:55. Off a corner, Anna DeLeon managed to head a 10-yard shot on frame. Somehow, a leaping Madden managed to get the fingertips of her right hand on the shot, tipping it off the inside of the left post before UT could clear its lines.

That proved the last chance for the Gators as Texas finished off its one-goal triumph.