Soccer avenges last-second loss, advances to Big 12 finals

Wednesday, November 1

Austin, TX

4:30 PM

University of Texas

14-4-2, 6-3-1

Texas Tech

15-1-4, 8-0-2

Texas Tech

Texas

Soccer avenges last-second loss, advances to Big 12 finals

11.01.2023 | Soccer

Box Score

Texas to play for the Big 12 Conference Championship for second time in three years

By: Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, Texas – With all eyes around the soccer community on Mike A. Myers Stadium Wednesday afternoon, The University of Texas showed why it belongs among the nation's best by knocking off No. 4 Texas Tech, 1-0, to advance to the finals of the 2023 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship.

The result marks the second time in the last three seasons Texas (14-4-2) will go on to play for a championship in the league's postseason tournament after also doing so in 2021. It's also the second time under head coach Angela Kelly — sixth time in the program's history — the Longhorns have advanced to the finals of the conference's postseason tournament. UT last won a postseason Big 12 Conference tournament in 2007 to cap a two-championships-in-two-season span.

Texas was in control for the entirety of the 90-minute match after posting 10 first-half shots, forcing three saves by Texas Tech goalkeeper Madison White. The Longhorns were on the verge of first-half goals — on multiple occasions — but Trinity Byars and Lexi Missimo shots hit the crossbar within a 30-second span in the 32nd minute.

But the pivotal, match-changing moment occurred less than five minutes into the second half when defender Lauren Lapomarda split two Red Raider defenders with a pass at midfield. Byars received the pass, then took off up field and outracing two Texas Tech defenders to the 18-yard box. With five Texas Tech student-athletes within a five-yard radius, Byars sent a left-footed strike into the bottom-right corner of the goal to give the Longhorns a one-goal advantage.

Over the remaining 40 minutes of the match, the Texas defense held Texas Tech's offense to only five shots with the final occurring at the 78:32 mark of the second half.

FROM HEAD COACH ANGELA KELLY

"I'm just pleased for the team. What a gritty performance. I'm proud of the team. That was a fantastic goal from Trinity. I thought we could have had some more like in the first half when we hit the crossbar several times. Trinity is an elite player. Her and Lexi (Missimo) together are just really, really hard to contain. Overall, I'm pleased for the group. We get another day. I'm just really proud of the grit and determination everyone showed today."

FROM JUNIOR FORWARD TRINITY BYARS

"So, (Lauren Lapomarda) played a ball that got through several defenders. I saw an open space and started dribbling. There was an open shot, so I took it. Luckily, I made it. I'm just excited to make it to the championship match. We feel good. We feel prepared and ready to get after it."

MATCH NOTES

No. 4 Texas Tech became the highest-ranked opponent beaten by Texas since the Longhorns knocked off then-No. 2 Texas A&M, 3-2, in College Station on Nov. 17, 2007.
The win also marked the first time Texas has beaten a ranked opponent since beating then-No. 17 Kansas, 1-0, in Lawrence, Kansas on Sept. 26, 2019.
With her second-half goal, Trinity Byars passed Lexi Missimo for the most career points scored (14) by a Texas women's soccer student-athlete in the Big 12 Conference Championship.
- Missimo set the record at 13 following a five-point outing in the Longhorns' 3-1 win over West Virginia in the tournament's quarterfinals on Monday, Oct. 30.

UP NEXT

Texas, with the win, advances to the finals of the league's postseason tournament for the first time since the 2021 season and just the second time under head coach Angela Kelly.
- The Longhorns will play the winner of second-seeded BYU (15-1-3) on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., with the location destination to be finalized at a later date.
- The two teams played earlier this season with BYU earning a 3-2 result on an Erin Bailey goal at the 83:19 mark on Monday, Sept. 25.
  - Lexi Missimo scored both of the Longhorn goals that evening.

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.