The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Thursday, August 17
Long Beach, CA
9 PM
University of Texas
at
Long Beach State
No. 15 Soccer preview: at Long Beach State
08.15.2023 | Soccer
For second time in three seasons, the Longhorns are set to begin a new season on the road.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – With core members of the roster having national team experience around the world, expectations for head coach Angela Kelly's 2023 Texas Longhorn women's soccer program stretch longer than a 120-yard soccer pitch.
Those expectations will be on display when Texas travels to California to begin the Longhorns' 2023 regular season against Long Beach State. The two women's soccer program will faceoff on George Allen Field on Thursday, August 17 at 9 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. PT with the match being streamed on ESPN+.
ONTO THE PITCH
- Under 12th-year head coach Angela Kelly, The University of Texas women's soccer program is 7-3-1 all time in season-opening matches since Kelly's first season on the Forty Acres in 2012.
- Last season, the Longhorns knocked off Lipscomb, 5-0, on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022.
- In that match, Liz Worden netted a team-high two goals while Lexi Missimo was credited with a pair of assists.
- Last season, the Longhorns knocked off Lipscomb, 5-0, on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022.
- On Thursday night, Texas will open the regular season on the road for just the fifth time since 2012.
- In those previous four non-home matches, the Longhorns are 2-1-1.
- Of those four matches, two were neutral-site matches: vs. Arizona State (T, 2-2, 2 OT) in Hawaii to start the 2014 season and vs. Miami (FL) (W, 1-0) in Charleston, S.C. to begin the 2015 campaign.
- In those previous four non-home matches, the Longhorns are 2-1-1.
- Since the program's first season in 1997, the Texas Longhorns are 16-12-1 in season-opening women's soccer matches.
- Three different Longhorn women's soccer student-athletes have been recognized by the United Soccer Coaches organization on three different 'Players to Watch' lists throughout the preseason:
- EmJ Cox – Defenders
- Lexi Missimo – Midfielders
- Trinity Byars – Forwards
- Thursday evening's match will mark just the second-ever soccer match between the Texas and Long Beach State programs with the first occurring on Thursday, Aug. 30 in Austin, Texas.
- Then-No. 23 Texas defeated Long Beach State, which was receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 at the time, 2-1, behind goals from Cyera Hintzen in the 18' and Mackenzie McFarland in the 61'.
- The two programs have never played each other in California.
- Over the weekend, Texas cruised to a six-goal victory over Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in the Longhorns' lone exhibition match.
- In Saturday night's match, Jilly Shimkin and Avery Clark scored a pair of goals, while Lexi Missimo pair a first-half goal with four assists throughout a 90-minute performance on the pitch.
- Lexi Missimo enters her third season as a Longhorn just 10 assists shy to tying Kelly Wilson (2001-04) for the program's top spot of the career assists list.
- Missimo, who had four during the Longhorns' exhibition match just five days ago, is currently third on the list behind Wilson and Kati McBain (34; 2000-03).
- Trinity Byars, who is also in her third season in the program, is eighth on the same list with 19 career assists.
- Byars is just two assists shy of passing Kyle Wosnuk (2000-02) and Katie Baruth (1996-98) for fifth place on the list.
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.
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