The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
7-1-3, 1-0-1
Texas Tech
4-3-4, 0-1-1
No. 25 Soccer blanks Texas Tech in Lubbock, 2-0
09.25.2022 | Soccer
Sophomore forward Trinity Byars powered the Longhorns with her sixth career multi-goal effort
LUBBOCK, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at the John Walker Soccer Complex, Trinity Byars scored a brace (two goals) to lead the Longhorns as the sophomore forward's sixth career multi-goal effort helped power No. 25 Texas soccer (7-1-3, 1-0-1 Big 12 Conference) to a 2-0 road league shutout of rival Texas Tech (4-3-4, 0-1-1 Big 12 Conference).
After suffering a lower leg injury just 18 minutes into Thursday's night 1-1 tie at No. 12 TCU, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo missed Sunday's match-up at Texas Tech and is listed as day-to-day moving forward.
Texas Match Notes
- Byars' brace (two goals) marked her sixth career and third multi-goal performance of 2022 (previously had a brace against Florida on Aug. 28 and a hat trick versus Texas Southern on Sept. 15).
- Texas stretched its overall Big 12 Conference regular season unbeaten streak to 11 straight matches (7-0-4) and its overall 2022 unbeaten skein to nine consecutive contests dating back to Aug. 28 against Florida.
- Byars scored her ninth and 10th goals of the year in just her 10th match of the 2022 campaign (she scored 12 goals over her entire 2021 freshman campaign). The Richardson, Texas, native entered Sunday already leading the Big 12 and ranking seventh in NCAA Division I in total goals.
- Texas' two-goal win over Texas Tech was just the second multi-score victory for either team over the last 18 meetings in the series.
- Graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden made four stops in registering her 20th career solo shutout. That number is good for fourth all-time in the Texas career record book.
- Texas now leads Texas Tech in the all-time series by a total of 18-9-4 and took the lead in Lubbock match-ups, 7-6-0.
- Byars' fifth-minute goal marked the 32nd time that Texas scored in the first 10 minutes of a match under the guidance of head coach Angela Kelly. In those instances, the Longhorns hold a stellar 26-5-1 record.
- Texas is now unbeaten over its last 50 matches (49-0-1) when scoring at least two goals in a match dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
- UT is 41-4-6 when scoring first in a contest since the start of 2018 and 5-0-3 in 2022.
- Texas and Texas Tech tied in total shots at 15-15, but the Longhorns led 9-4 in shots on goal and 7-3 in corner kicks.
The Details
Texas Tech came out on the front foot to begin the match by controlling possession over the opening few minutes of action.
The Red Raiders created the match's first scoring chance off a cross from the right side at 2:20. Waiting in space in the middle was Ashleigh Williams, but her 10-yard header popped straight up as graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden leapt high to collect it in a crowd.
Against the early run of play, Byars delivered a moment of personal brilliance at the 4:02 mark. In Texas Tech's offensive half of the pitch, a TTU player attempted a back pass but struck the ball into empty space back across midfield. Byars ran on to the errant feed and took off hard up the left wing. The Richardson, Texas, native drove to the top left corner of the 18-yard box and moved middle. Somehow dribbling her way between three Red Raider defenders, Byars moved in 1-v-1 on Texas Tech keeper Madison White and beat her into the right corner from 12 yards out to make it 1-0.
Back at the other end, Texas Tech continued to hold the majority of the early possession with Charlotte Teeter firing high and wide left from distance at 5:24.
The Longhorns began to exert more control on the match with sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin testing White through a 12-yard drive from the right side at 13:25.
Just 26 seconds later, Byars came close to scoring a second off a cross from the left side, but her strike from the middle of the box rolled just outside the left post.
Another mis-hit Texas Tech back pass was swiped by Byars during the 23rd minute. Tightly marked, the sophomore forward drove into the right edge of the 18, but her eventual 14-yard shot struck the back of the side netting.
In possession out on the left side, Texas Tech's Macy Schultz took advantage of a slipping Texas defender and quickly moved middle. Once she entered the top of the box, Schultz fired a right-footed effort from 17 yards out, but it ventured harmlessly outside the left post.
Off a quick Texas counter in the 39th minute, senior forward Teni Akindoju ended up in possession just outside the top of the 18. She drove to her right and attempted to bend a 17-yard shot into the right edge of net. TTU's White dove completely out to her left and just managed to deflect the shot outside the post with the fingertips of her left hand.
Out of the halftime break, a give away in the Texas defensive third granted Texas Tech the first second-half chance for either team at 49:26. Peyton Parsons swiped an errant pass and fired from 20 yards, but her shot traveled high and wide left.
Sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin forced White into more action between the pipes at 53:15 as her blast from 20 yards out on the right wing was stopped and smothered.
During the 55th minute, Byars completed her sixth career multi-goal effort by displaying more of her trademark offensive brilliance. Off a long pass up the right side from sophomore midfielder Ashlyn Miller, Byars took possession and drove towards the top right corner of the six-yard box. She quickly juked to the left and slid a five-yard, right-footed shot back the other way past White and inside the right post for a 2-0 advantage.
With Texas Tech desperate for a quick answer, Kylie Bahr got herself into some space outside the top of the box at 66:56, but her shot was easily nabbed by Madden.
At the 69:22 mark, the Red Raiders came probably as close as they would to a breakthrough in the match only to be denied by the wood work. In possession on the left side of the box, Gisselle Kozarski had a shot blocked. The ball ricocheted around in the middle before landing right at Ashleigh Williams' feet standing about six yards out. Unfortunately for TTU, Williams' shot at an open net traveled straight up and off the cross bar before Texas could clear its lines.
A bad clearance nearly led to a third for Byars at 74:55 as a mis-hit pass near the right side of the six dropped right to the Texas standout about eight yards out in the middle. Unfortunately, Byars' right-footed shot proved straight to White for a routine stop.
Back at the other end in the 76th minute, TTU's Schultz received a pass, turned and drove into the 18 facing a building 1-v-1 situation. She eventually tried a 14-yard shot, but Madden dove to her right to smother it.
Texas sophomore forward Holly Ward did strong work to save a ball from going out near the left end line and create a scoring chance at 81:30. Unfortunately, her eventual eight-yard shot from a tough angle was saved out for a corner.
Ward again tried her luck from the left wing at 85:13, but her 16-yard try drifted high over the cross bar.
From there, Texas did all the necessary work to run out the clock on a workmanlike, 2-0 league road triumph.
smooth like 🧈@trinitybyars DID THAT 👏
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) September 25, 2022
TEXAS 1 - TEXAS TECH 0 pic.twitter.com/0vDQSBBOmR
55' | GOALLL🤘🤘
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) September 25, 2022
6th career brace for @trinitybyars
TEXAS 2 - TEXAS TECH 0 pic.twitter.com/JUxIDaORIp
that footwork though 😱 @snobles_19 pic.twitter.com/TnptjYwJ1Z
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) September 25, 2022
Team Stats
Trinity Byars (10)
GOAL by UT Byars, Trinity.
04:02
Trinity Byars (10)
GOAL by UT Byars, Trinity.
54:56
