Soccer claims Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown matchup

Sunday, September 29

Austin, Texas

6 PM

University of Texas

9-1-2, 2-1-1

Texas A&M

7-5-0, 2-2-0

Texas A&M

Texas

Soccer claims Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown matchup

09.29.2024 | Soccer

Box Score

Texas earns first conference win over Texas A&M since 2011

By: Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, Texas – Amailia Villarreal knew fans waited long enough to see Texas and Texas A&M play on the pitch at Mike A. Myers Stadium, so the freshman forward produced a goal just eight minutes into the match that turned out to be the Michigan native's first career game-winning as the Longhorns beat the Aggies, 2-0, in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown.

As both teams were looking to establish its footing during the early portion on Sunday's match, Hannah Waesch stole possession from an Aggie forward immediately following a throw in. Waesch passed the ball up field to Avery Clark, who earned her second consecutive start on the season, and she took three dribbles away from two defenders before connecting with Lexi Missimo inside the midfield circle.

Missimo took one dribble before firing a pass towards Villarreal, who collected the loose ball 42 yards away from the goal.

The freshman dribbles to the left of one defender — as she broke away to defend an uncovered Missimo — and then power past two more Aggie defenders. A member of the Texas A&M's defensive back line was able to kick the ball and stop Villarreal's initial sequence, but the freshman gathered back the loose ball in the attacking 18-yard box, before beating the TAMU goalkeeper with a right-footed strike into the bottom-right corner of the net for her fourth goal on the season.

But the first-year Longhorn wasn't done.

Twenty minutes later, Villarreal outran her defender to gather a Missimo in front of the Texas A&M bench. The 5-foot-2 forward then dribbled the ball towards the center of the pitch, before being taken down by an Aggie defender. However, moments before falling to the ground, Villarreal sent a pass into the 18-yard box that Ashlyn Miller, who scored the game-winning goal in Texas' first-ever SEC win just three nights ago, dribbled just past the outstretched arms of the TAMU goalkeeper and sent it into the back of the net.

FROM HEAD COACH ANGELA KELLY

"(Amalia) had a fantastic goal tonight. She was able to finish with a goal and an assist, which helped us big time. She's just fantastic."

FROM FRESHMAN FORWARD AMALIA VILLARREAL

"The environment out here tonight was amazing. I love when there are so many people out here to support us, because it really helps me thrive. Personally, I know I love it. When someone gets in a good tackle or score a goal, the place erupts and it's so exciting."

MATCH NOTES

With the win over Texas A&M on Sunday night, Texas is now unbeaten in its last 15 consecutive home matches, which is tied for the second-longest streak in program history and the longest under head coach Angela Kelly.
Sunday evening's match saw 3,160 fans watch inside Mike A. Myers Stadium, making it the 10th-highest attended women's soccer match in Texas' program history.
- It was also the most fans on the Forty Acres to watch a women's soccer match since 3,264 watched the Longhorns play then-No. 1 North Carolina on Aug. 25, 2022.
Combing Sunday's result with its 3-1 win on Nov. 11, 2022 — the last time the two programs played — Texas has now won back-to-back matches against Texas A&M on the Forty Acres for the first time since Oct. 2, 2005 and Oct. 27, 2006.
- The win also events up the Longhorns' all-time record against the Aggies in matches played in Austin to 5-5-2.
Avery Clark's six shot attempts throughout 74 minutes on the pitch were a career high for the sophomore out of Brentwood, Tenn.
- Clark, a forward, entered Sunday's contest with a career high five shot attempts against SMU on Sept. 3, 2023.
By holding Texas A&M without a goal for 90 minutes, Texas' senior goalkeeper Mia Justus recorded her eighth clean sheet on the season, which is tied for the fifth most on the program's single-season list.
- Sunday was also the first time a conference team handed the Aggies a shutout loss since then-No. 17 South Carolina beat Texas A&M, 1-0, in College Station on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
Sunday night's action marked the second time in her career that Amalia Villarreal scored a goal and was credited with an assist during the same match.
- She also accomplished the feat in 49 minutes of action at SMU on Aug. 22, 2024.

UP NEXT

Texas (9-1-2, 2-1-1) will, again, hit the road for its third match away from Austin over its last four contests when the Longhorns travel to Gainesville, Fla., to play Florida (3-3-5, 0-2-1) at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 4.
- The matchup will be just the third all-time meeting between the two programs and first since the Longhorns earned a 3-2 victory over the Gators in Austin on Aug. 28, 2022.
- The two teams have met in the Sunshine State only once with the two playing to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes on Aug. 22, 2021.

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