No. 23 Soccer battles past Utah State, 2-1

Thursday, September 8

Austin, Texas

7 p.m. CT

University of Texas

4-1-1, 0-0-0

Utah State

2-1-3, 0-0-0

Utah St.

Texas

09.08.2022 | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

Sophomore forward Trinity Byars scored the match-winner for the Longhorns at the 62:49 mark

AUSTIN, Texas – On Thursday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo scored off a penalty kick and later assisted on sophomore forward Trinity Byars' match-winning, 63rd minute score as No. 23 Texas soccer (4-1-1) fought off a tough challenge from Utah State (2-1-3), 2-1.

Texas Match Notes

Texas improved its unbeaten streak to four matches (3-0-1) dating back to Aug. 28 against Florida.
Sophomore forward Trinity Byars registered her team-leading fourth goal of the season (also her second match-winning goal of 2022).
With three points off a penalty kick goal and her team-best fourth assist of the season against Utah State, sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo recorded her eighth career match with at least three points.
Missimo's assist against Utah State marked the 20th of her brief career to move into a tie for sixth in the Texas career record book alongside former Longhorns All-American Kelsey Carpenter (2004-07).
Missimo's PK at the 5:47 mark was the 30th time that Texas has scored a goal over the opening 10 minutes of a match under the guidance of head coach Angela Kelly. UT is 24-5-1 in those contests.
Texas tied a season-high with 20 shots (previously vs. Lipscomb – Aug. 18) against Utah State after out-shooting the Aggies by a total of 20-8, including 8-4 in shots on goal. The Longhorns also managed a season best total for corner kicks with its 11-0 advantage.
The Longhorns have now won 46 consecutive matches when scoring two-or-more goals in a match dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
Texas is now 35-17 in its last 52 one-goal matches dating back to the start of 2017.

The Details

It was Texas that created the match's first scoring chance just four minutes in as fifth-year senior forward Mackenzie McFarland received a long Missimo pass up the right wing and fired a 15-yard strike that was saved at the right post by Utah State goalkeeper Diera Walton.

Just 1:47 later, UT sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin made something happen by taking possession just outside the right side of the 18-yard box and driving towards the middle. The Rockville Centre, N.Y., native was eventually sandwiched between two Aggie defender for a foul as the head referee pointed to the spot. Missimo stepped up and calmly drove the PK into the goal to grant Texas an early 1-0 lead.

Utah State upped its pressure after the goal, but the Aggies couldn't locate the final pass against the Longhorns defense.

Byars did strong work to keep possession for the Longhorns inside the box during the 26th minute before passing back to Shimkin. Unfortunately, her eventual 18-yard shot drifted just high of the top left corner.

Utah State finally registered its first shot of the match at 28:33 as Kaitlyn Richins drove a 16-yard effort in on frame that was smothered by Texas graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden.

Byars came close to getting on the scoresheet at 34:30 as the Richardson, Texas, product blasted a 23-yard shot that was saved by a Walton dive outside the right post.

USU's Alex Day tried her luck from 30-plus yards away at 37:59, but saw her attempt land harmlessly on the top netting.

Over the last few minutes of the opening half, Byars (39:26) and freshman forward Liz Worden (43:29) each had attempts blocked as the squads headed to the locker room with UT up a goal.

Texas got right back to work out of the halftime break. Byars kicked things off by having a shot blocked out for a corner at 46:11. Off the ensuing set piece, sophomore defender EmJ Cox managed a header towards goal that was saved off the line by a leaping Aggie defender.

Back at the other end, Utah State earned a free kick just outside the top of the box at the 48:17 mark. London Miller stepped up and hit a shot, but it drifted just outside the upper right 90.

The end-to-end action continued at 49:46 as Texas sophomore forward Holly Ward took possession on the left wing and hammered a 10-yard shot into the left side netting.

With the Aggies buzzing around the Texas defensive third during the 54th minute, a Bizzy Alvelo shot from just outside the top of the 18 struck a Longhorns defender's arm inside the box for a penalty. Miller stepped up to the spot and answered back for Utah State by hitting her shot into the lower left corner to make it 1-1.

Texas fifth-year senior midfielder Emma Regan quickly got the Burnt Orange & White offense back on the front foot with a succession of four shots from 56:28 to 61:08. Her last attempt from 17 yards out in the 62nd minute skimmed just over the cross bar for a goal kick.

After mis-hitting a shot in loads of space from 15 yards out at 62:00, Missimo wasted no time starting off the decisive scoring play just seconds later.

Walton struck a USU goal kick towards midfield, but the ball traveled right to Missimo, who leapt to volley it back towards the top of the 18. Byars raced straight onto the feed, dribbled into the box and beat Walton into the lower left corner from near the penalty spot to grant Texas a 2-1 lead.

Utah State had a golden opportunity go awry at 72:20 as a long ball up field dropped right to Kaylie Chambers in space in the middle of the box. Her leaping header was mis-hit and ended up going high and left of frame.

The Longhorns came within inches of grabbing a third in the 75th minute. A pass from the right side found Shimkin about seven yards out from frame, but her eventual shot struck the crossbar and ricocheted out to the left. Waiting to pounce on the rebound was Worden, but the Riverside, Calif., native's follow-up attempt was deflected out near the left post for a corner by Walton.

With Texas looking to see the match out, Utah State had one final chance at 86:26. Tenzi Knowles struck a 19-yard shot from the top of the box, but it was blocked away and the Horns cleared their lines.