No. 20 Soccer preview: Texas Southern

Match 8: Texas Southern (0-6-0) at No. 20 Texas (5-1-1)

Time: Thursday, Sept. 15 – 6 p.m. CT

Location: Austin, Texas (Mike A. Myers Stadium & Soccer Field)

Tickets: Admission is FREE for all fans

Parking: Available in advance for the East Campus Garage through Click-And-Park ($5): LINK

TEXAS CLEAR BAG POLICY: Please note that there is a Clear Bag Policy in effect for fans when attending Texas Athletic events. For more details, please visit this LINK

Live Stats: LINK

TV: The match will be broadcast live on Longhorn Network (accessible through WATCHESPN with certain cable providers) and can be watched online through this LINK.

Free Kicks:

Texas and Texas Southern will be meeting for the first time ever on Thursday. UT owns a 1-0-0 mark against current members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference after a 2019 victory over Grambling State.
At its current scoring rate of 2.71 goals-per-match, Texas is on pace to score approximately 49 goals during the 2022 regular season. That would tie for the fourth-most goals in a single year prior to entering the postseason. The program record of 57 goals was established back in 2002, while the 2004 (55 goals), 2006 (51 goals), 2000 (49 goals) & 2007 (48 goals) squads round out the top five.
Texas sophomores Lexi Missimo (1.86) and Trinity Byars (1.83) currently rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the latest Big 12 points-per-match statistics. The duo also ranks in the league's top five in points, goals, assists and assists-per-match. Missimo leads the league in points, assists and assists-per-match.
Texas sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo was named Top Drawer Soccer's National Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after scoring a combined three goals and dishing two assists during wins over Utah State (2-1) and UTRGV (5-0), It marked Missimo's first career selection as the organization's national player of the week and her fifth nod as part of Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week after previous honorable mention inclusions on March 9, April 6, Sept. 14 & Nov. 2, 2021.
The Longhorns currently rank FIFTH in NCAA Division I in assists-per-match (3.14) and 10th in total assists with 22 helpers over their first seven matches. Individually, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo is NINTH in the country in total assists (five).
At 5-1-1 overall, Texas climbed three spots to No. 20 in the latest release of the United Soccer Coaches poll on Tuesday. The Longhorns are also listed at No. 23 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings and No. 14 according to College Soccer News.
Texas has spread the scoring around over in its opening seven matches of 2022. So far, eight different Longhorns have scored at least one goal, while 11 different UT players have registered at least one point.
Sophomore forward Trinity Byars is heating up offensively after missing the start of the 2022 fall campaign on international duty. The Richardson, Texas, native has scored a goal in three of the Longhorns last five matches (owns points in four-of-six contests) and has totaled points in 16 of her 28 career matches.
With 21 assists over her first 32 career matches, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo has already moved into a tie for FOURTH ALL-TIME in program history in the category alongside Texas-Exes Kylee Wosnuk (2000-02) & Katie Baruth (1996-98). She needs two more to move into a tie for third with former UT standout Amy Burlingham (2003-06).
Lexi Missimo owns an impressive 16 career goals, 21 career assists and 53 career points over her first 32 official collegiate matches (has tallied at least one point in 19 matches). In 2021, she became the fastest Longhorns player to reach 10 career goals in program history (just 12 matches), breaking former Longhorns All-American Kelly Wilson's (2001) record by one match. Trinity Byars is right on her teammate's heels with 16 goals and 13 assists for 45 points over her first 28 career matches.

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

Players Mentioned

Trinity Byars

Lexi Missimo