No. 20 Soccer gets key 86th minute Byars goal to tie UCF, 2-2

Sunday, September 18

Austin, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

6-1-2, 0-0-0

UCF

2-2-4, 0-0-1

UCF

Texas

No. 20 Soccer gets key 86th minute Byars goal to tie UCF, 2-2

09.18.2022 | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

Sophomores Lexi Missimo (fifth goal) and Trinity Byars (eighth goal) each tickled the twine in the deadlock

AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium, sophomore forward Trinity Byars played a direct role in each of the Longhorns two scores while her clutch, 86th minute goal helped No. 20 Texas soccer (6-1-2) rally for a 2-2 tie against a senior-laden UCF (2-2-4) squad.

Texas Match Notes

Byars' goal was her team-leading eighth of the season, while sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo opened the scoring for the Longhorns in the 43rd minute with her fifth goal of 2022.
With three points on a goal and an assist against UCF, Byars has now registered at least three points in a single match eight times over her 30 career contests. She is currently riding a streak of scoring at least one point in five consecutive matches for the second time in her career (previous was a program-record eight straight contests from Sept. 12-Oct. 8, 2021).
Byars' goal was the 20th of her career, moving her within just one score of entering the Texas career top 10 (21 goals – tie for 10th between Julia Grosso, Alanna Makinano & Katie Baruth).
Now with 58 career points, Missimo is just one point from entering the Texas career top 10 in points alongside former Texas All-American Kasey Moore (10th – 59 points – 2005-08).
Texas extended its unbeaten streak to seven straight matches dating back to Aug. 28 against Florida.
The Longhorns out-shot the Knights by a total of 16-13, while the teams tied at 7-7 in shots on frame. UT held a 6-1 advantage on corner kicks.
Sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin's assist was her third of the year (tied for fifth on the squad).
Texas graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden made a season-high tying six stops against UCF.

The Details

From the opening kickoff, the teams spent time feeling each other out as neither squad managed a single shot until the 8:50 mark.

That first chance proved a good one for Texas, however, as Missimo blasted a 17-yard shot from the top of the box that was deflected out to the right. Approximately 15 seconds later, Byars took possession and hit her own 16-yard try, but UCF keeper Caroline DeLisle was there to save and smother any rebound.

The Longhorns were back at it during the 12th minute. Byars dribbled up the right wing before crossing a ball towards the near post. Waiting was Missimo, but her 10-yard volley was blocked out for a corner.

UCF registered its first shot of the match off a Texas turnover in the 20th minute. After swiping an errant UT pass to the middle, Ellie Moreno dribbled to the top of the box and drove a shot straight into Madden's arms.

With the match continuing to open up, the back-and-forth continued at 25:19 as Texas' Shimkin tried her luck from the top of the box, but pulled her shot just a foot outside the left post.

The Knights made a key sub at the 33:13 mark as Dayana Martin entered the match and wasted little time making her presence felt.

Martin got into action off a quick break at 36:44 as her 19-yard shot was caught by Madden. Off a UCF cross from the right wing just 1:16 later, Martin leapt high to head a 12-yard effort just wide right.

Meanwhile, Texas was blasting away from distance as both Missimo (39:31) and fifth-year senior midfielder Emma Regan (41:25) fired wide from 30-plus yards away.

The Burnt Orange & White eventually broke the scoreless deadlock at 42:11. Shimkin started it all with a steal before feeding the ball up field to Byars. The Richardson, Texas, native quickly passed to her left between a pair of Knight defenders. Missimo was waiting to take possession entering the top of the box and quickly bent a 16-yard shot around the keeper and into the lower right side of the twine for a 1-0 lead.

Texas' advantage lasted just 39 seconds as UCF raced right down to tie the contest at 1-1. Again it was Martin causing trouble as she received a pass and dribbled hard up the left wing before driving an eight-yard shot off the inside of the right post and into the net.

Out of the halftime break, both teams began looking to drop long balls over the opposing backline into space.

The first second-half shot for either squad came from distance, however, as Missimo let fly over the cross bar from 30-plus yards out at 57:11.

The Longhorns missed a huge chance to re-take the lead at the 58:56 mark. A bad backline pass from the right wing into the middle was intercepted by Missimo. The Southlake, Texas, product quickly shot from 16 yards out, but DeLisle managed to deflect it out to her right. Byars quickly raced onto the loose ball, but her 14-yard follow-up attempt was blocked before UCF could clear it out for a corner.

At the other end, UCF defender Kelis Barton put pressure on the UT defense by lifting a cross from the right wing towards the left post. A Texas defender had inside position on a UCF forward, but her sliding clearance attempt deflected past Madden and into the twine for an own goal to give the Knights a shocking, 2-1 lead.

After Texas freshman forward Liz Worden missed wide right from nine yards out during the 69th minute, UCF came within inches of adding to its advantage.

In possession inside the 18, UCF's Anna Henderson hit a shot on frame that was saved by Madden. A defection bounced back out front to Mia Asenjo, but her 13-yard follow-up try rattled off the cross bar before Texas could clear its lines.

Following an EmJ Cox header that missed wide right from eight yards (79:29), UCF's Mallory Olsson broke up the right wing off a turnover but struck her 10-yard attempt directly to Madden.

With the Longhorns pressing hard, the equalizer finally came at 85:19. Shimkin started the play from back near the UT defensive third as the Rockville Centre, N.Y., native launched a long ball up field. The pass bounced just outside the top of the 18 as Byars managed to split two UCF defenders and drove in hard on a 1-v-1 situation. DeLisle managed to deflect the first shot to her right, but Byars pounced on the rebound, finishing from five yards out to tie the match at 2-2.

Texas fifth-year senior forward Mackenzie McFarland forced DeLisle into action again at 85:30 as her 15-yard try from the top of the box rolled straight into the keeper's waiting arms.

Martin almost swiped the match for UCF at 87:12 as a long ball up field tipped off a Texas defender's head before landing right in the speedster's path. Martin moved in 1-v-1 from the left wing, but had her eight-yard shot smothered by Madden for the keeper's sixth and final save of the match.

With 1:30 left on the clock, Martin managed the contest's final chance for either squad as her 30-yard shot traveled well wide right.