Soccer finds spark in Lapomarda’s first-half goal

Sunday, October 8

Austin, TX

1 PM

University of Texas

10-3-2, 4-2-1

Iowa State

4-10-1, 1-6-0

Iowa St.

Texas

Soccer finds spark in Lapomarda’s first-half goal

10.08.2023 | Soccer

Box Score

Texas continues winning ways as Longhorns pick up their 10th win on the season

By: Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, Texas – After Iowa State's goal less than six minutes into Sunday's match, Texas needed not only an answer, but a spark, too, to ignite the Longhorn offense. Insert Lauren Lapomarda into the picture as her first-half goal turned the momentum in the Longhorns favor and ultimately helped UT to a 2-1 victory.

Despite Trinity Byars and Jilly Shimkin both having looks at the goal within a five-second span less than two minutes into the match, Iowa State struck first with a goal from Mira Emma at the 5:40 mark in the first half. The two teams went on to combine for five total shots over the next 35 minutes until Byars and Lapomardo connected.

Having beaten a Cyclone defender down to the end line, Byars, just feet from the corner flag nearest the Longhorn bench, split three defenders with a pass to Lapomarda at the edge of the 18-yard box. The defender gave a shuttle pump fake on her initial touch, before dribbling once to her left and then firing off a strike with her left foot that went passed the outstretched arms of the Iowa State goalkeeper and into the top-left corner of the net.

Texas came out of intermission and went on to record eight more shots, before Lexi Missimo pushed the Longhorns ahead, 2-1, on a penalty kick in the 71st minute following a handball in the box by Iowa State's Maddie Brant.

FROM HEAD COACH ANGELA KELLY

"(Iowa State) was well organized, defensively, and we were trying to force the ball centrally and getting a little frustrated. When you play a team that sits back and wait for the counter, that's what you can't do. There are different ways to beat the bunker and the long-ranged shot is one of them. And for it (the goal) to come from someone who isn't one of the usual goal scorers was a testament to everyone's hard work. What a fantastic goal is was, too."

FROM DEFENDER LAUREN LAPOMARDA

"(The goal) was kind of crazy. I just knew we needed to get a spark going, because everyone was working their butts off and just working very hard. I knew if we could just get into the final third, we were going to have an opportunity. Shoutout to Trinity Byars, who created a 1-v-1 and beat her defender to set it up. We've been practicing all week that once we get into the box, to take the shot. I saw my opportunity and said, 'let's go for it.'"

MATCH NOTES

Lexi Missimo became the first student-athlete in program history to reach the 50-point mark during a single season following her second-half penalty kick to extend the Longhorns' lead.
- Missimo has converted a team-high five penalty kick attempts so far this season.
Sunday afternoon's win over Iowa State marked the first win for Texas against a Big 12 Conference foe at home this season.
- Prior to Sunday, the Longhorns were 0-2-1 at home against conference opponents this season.
Texas has now not dropped its last four consecutive matches — three wins and a tie — for the first time this season since going six straight matches without a defeat from Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, to Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.
- The Longhorns went 5-0-1 during that six-match stretch.
The Longhorn defense held Iowa State to only four corner kicks, marking the fewest such plays for a Texas conference opponent at Mike A. Myers Stadium this season.
With the two goals against the Cyclones on Sunday, Texas has now scored 49 goals so far this season, which is tied with the 2000 squad for the fifth most in the program's single-season history.
- The 2002 team holds the program's single-season mark with 57.

UP NEXT

Texas (10-3-2, 4-2-1), after earning its sixth win at Mike A. Myers Stadium this season, will return to the road for its next matchup when the Longhorns travel to Norman to play Oklahoma (6-7-2, 2-3-2) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12.

FOLLOW US

For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.