No. 17 Soccer earns first win as a member of the SEC

Thursday, August 15

Austin, Texas

7 PM

University of Texas

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Houston

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Houston

Texas

No. 17 Soccer earns first win as a member of the SEC

08.16.2024 | Soccer

Box Score

Mia Justus records her 10th career solo clean sheet at Texas.

By: Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, Texas – With the opportunity of being the first athletic program at The University of Texas to play with a "SEC" patch on its uniform, the Longhorn women's soccer program earned a 1-0 victory over a former Big 12 Conference foe in the Houston Cougars on Thursday night to open the 2024 regular season.

And much like the 2023 season, the 2024 campaign started off with a Lexi Missimo goal — the 45th of her Texas career — and 27th in her last 25 matches wearing the Burnt Orange.

The scoring sequence occurred when Trinity Byars received a pass 10 feet beyond the midfield stripe less than 10 minutes into the match. The All-American senior flicked the ball back to first-year Longhorn Madison Haugen, who sent the soccer ball over the heads of three Houston Cougar defenders and in front of Missimo. The midfielder accelerated towards the loose ball, before gathering it just outside of the attacking third. The Southlake native kept the momentum rolling with two dribbles of the ball before firing it into the bottom-left corner with her first foot to push Texas ahead 1-0.

The one-goal difference stood for the remainder of the match's 80 minutes as preseason SEC Watchlist selection Mia Justus was credited with three saves on six Houston shot attempts. The Longhorn defense contributed to the cause, too, as it was only whistled for two fouls — one in each half — throughout the match's 90 minutes.

FROM HEAD COACH ANGELA KELLY

"I would've loved to have been able to put a few more into the back of the net, but the most important thing is that we won, and the historical reference will go down in the books, because I strongly believe our institution, The University of Texas, will do amazing things in the SEC. And we had the privilege of being the first competition for The University of Texas in the SEC and the first competition on the campus for The University of Texas. It'll go down in the record books as the first for the Longhorns. So, I'm really, really excited about that."

FROM SENIOR GOALKEEPER MIA JUSTUS

"It was awesome to be able to earn the win tonight with the SEC patch on our jerseys, especially with this group of girls we have. I couldn't have asked for a better first game. I think we could have put a couple more into the back of the net, but, overall, I'm happy with the shutout."

MATCH NOTES

Thursday night marked the third consecutive season the Texas Longhorns opened a season in the win column.
- It was also the first season-opening victory for UT at home since Aug. 18, 2022, when the Longhorns beat Lipscomb 5-0.
With the victory, Texas now moves to 7-1-0 all time against Houston, including 4-1-0 in Austin.
- Thursday night's clean sheet by Mia Justus marked the sixth time in eight matches between Texas and Houston that the Longhorns held the Cougars without a goal.
Two first-year freshmen made their collegiate debuts for Texas on Thursday night as Chloe Shimkin and Amalia Villarreal played 29 and seven minutes, respectively, off the bench.
- Despite Houston goalkeeper Olivia Dietrich making a save on the play, Shimkin was credited with her first career shot on goal at the 77:44 mark of the contest.
Madison Haugen also made her Texas debut on Thursday night as the graduate transfer from Georgia earned a starting assignment on the defensive back line and went on to play all 90 minutes in the match.
- Haugen was credited with not only her first assist as a Longhorn on Lexi Missimo's first-half goal, but it was also the Georgia native's first assist since Nov. 2, 2023, when she was a member of the Georgia women's soccer program.
EmJ Cox, the 2022 Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, made her return to the pitch on Thursday night as well as the center back was penciled into the starting lineup for her first match action in 637 days after missing the entire 2023 campaign while rehabbing an injury.
- Thursday's win over Houston marked the first soccer match for Cox since Nov. 18, 2022 against Duke.
Thursday night's clean sheet marked the 10th solo shutout for Mia Justus during her time on the Forty Aces.
- Justus was also credited with nine solo clean sheets in two seasons at Florida State (2021-23) to push her overall collegiate career total to 19.

UP NEXT

Texas (1-0-0) will look for its second win on the young season when the Longhorns take on Cal State Bakersfield (0-1-0) at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 18 at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field in Austin.
- The Roadrunners will travel to Austin after falling to San Diego State, 3-0, in San Diego on Thursday, Aug. 15.
  - CSUB was credited with seven shots, including four on goal, in 90 minutes against the Aztecs.

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