The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Soccer's Justus, Villarreal selected as SEC Players of the Week
10.14.2024 | Soccer
Texas duo earns weekly league honors for second time in three weeks.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On Monday afternoon, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced that Texas' senior goalkeeper Mia Justus and freshman forward Amalia Villarreal were both selected as the league's top defensive and freshman women's soccer student-athletes, respectively, from last week's action after the Longhorns knocked off Oklahoma and LSU.
Justus, who played all 180:00 minutes between the pipes for the Longhorns, added two more wins to her résumé after keeping the Oklahoma offense off the scoreboard for her ninth clean sheet on the season. As a result, she became the first student-athlete in program history with multiple seasons of nine-or-more clean sheets in a single season. Throughout the 90-minute contest, Justus turned away multiple point-blank Sooner shot attempts, including saving a penalty kick at the 63:29 mark in the second half. Four of her five saves against the OU offense came during the second half to preserve UT's one-goal win. Three days later, Justus returned to the pitch in Baton Rouge and turned in a season-best eight saves – one off her career high – on 16 shot attempts from the LSU offense.
Villarreal, who will enter Texas' next match leading the SEC in points (11) during conference-only matches, was an offensive spark plug for the Longhorns. In 154 minutes on the pitch, the Michigan native finished the week tied for second – not only among freshmen but also the entire SEC – in total points (4) after scoring a goal on the road in Baton Rouge and being credited with two assists in each of UT's matches. Both of Villarreal's assists led to the career-tying and record-breaking goal by senior midfielder Lexi Missimo.
This is the second time this season Justus and Villarreal have been selected as the SEC Defensive and Freshman Player of the Week, respectively, after the pair were selected on Oct. 30, 2024. Including Trinity Byars' SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor on Aug. 26, 2024, the Longhorns have won each of the league's top soccer weekly honors at least once at this season.
UP NEXT
Texas (11-2-2, 4-2-1) will welcome preseason SEC favorite Arkansas (11-1-1, 6-1-0) to the Forty Acres for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Friday, Oct. 18.
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