Game Recap: Soccer |
at No. 8 Duke
11/18/2022 | 5:30 p.m.
ACC Network Extra/ESPN+
AUSTIN, Texas – With temperatures plummeting into the upper 40’s and winds gusting above 30 mph on Friday night in NCAA Tournament First Round action at Mike A. Myers Stadium, No. 16 Texas soccer (15-2-4) utilized goals from sophomore midfielder Jilly Shimkin, sophomore forward Trinity Byars and sophomore midfielder Ashlyn Miller to eliminate longtime rival Texas A&M (9-7-5), 3-1.
Texas Match Notes
The Details
After a feeling out process, it was Texas that created the best of the early chances. The Longhorns nearly unlocked the Texas A&M defense in the eighth minute as a long ball up field into a stout headwind from sophomore defender EmJ Cox dropped near the top of the 18-yard box. With a step on her marker, Byars was almost able to break in 1-v-1, but Aggie keeper Kenna Caldwell raced off her line to just beat the UT forward to the ball and smother it to prevent a shot.
Byars did get off a shot at 9:33 as her 15-yard attempt was tipped straight up in the air by Caldwell and caught.
With a battle for the midfield in full swing, Byars continued to cause A&M problems as the Richardson, Texas, native was dragged down for a foul just a yard outside the top of the box. Off the ensuing free kick in the 12th minute, Shimkin stepped up and bent a 19-yard shot into the left edge of the twine to grant the Longhorns an early 1-0 lead.
The Aggies nearly answered back at 12:08 as Carissa Boeckmann tried a blast from the top of the box but watched it travel wide right of frame.
Texas A&M created another dangerous opportunity during the 24th minute as Boeckmann drove up the left wing and crossed a ball into the middle that was deflected back out front. Georgia Leb corralled the loose ball and fired from 30 yards out only to have the shot blocked and cleared away.
At 30:59, Byars came within a foot of doubling the Texas advantage only to have her 14-yard effort from the right side of the box roll just outside the left post.
Longhorns goalkeeper Savannah Madden came through with a clutch save at 35:48 as the graduate student leapt high to tip Andersen Williams’ 18-yard attempt over the cross bar.
Just 30 seconds out of the halftime locker room, Texas came close to adding another. In possession inside the 18, Byars managed to dance to her left around a charging Caldwell. Continuing to evade Texas A&M’s defensive pressure, she eventually drove back to her right, but couldn’t get a lot of pace on a 14-yard shot as Aggie defender Karlina Sample managed to clear the potential goal off the line.
Missimo nearly got on the scoresheet for UT at 48:44, but the Southlake, Texas, native saw her 14-yard try rattle off the cross bar before being gathered by the keeper.
With Texas pressing hard, it was the Longhorns defense that was victimized for Texas A&M’s lone goal at 57:33. In possession a couple of yards inside the right edge of the box, Maile Hayes was judged to have been fouled as the referee pointed to the spot. Hayes stepped up and blasted her PK dead center of goal just inches under the cross bar to tie the match at 1-1.
Suddenly facing a tie contest, Byars continued to wreak havoc during the 60th minute. Off a quick break up field, Missimo delivered a through ball to her tightly-marked teammate entering the top of the box. Byars managed to get off a 14-yard shot, but again Caldwell deflected the ball up the in air before making the catch.
Finally at 64:11, Byars struck pay dirt to break the school single-season record with her 17th goal. Miller started the play deep out on the left wing as the McKinney, Texas, product delivered an entry pass into the middle. Byars took possession, made a quick dart to her left and raced past her marker to score from eight yards out for a 2-1 lead.
Just 1:36 later, the Burnt Orange & White missed a golden chance for a third. Off a Byars cross from near the right end line, Miller tried a quick volley from six yards out, but lifted her shot up-and-over the woodwork.
Texas continued to fire away as sophomore defender EmJ Cox had a 13-yard header saved on a Caldwell dive at 71:29.
Cox also went wide left with a header at 73:52, while Missimo had a 12-yard shot from the right side of the box blocked out for a corner at 77:22.
The Longhorns eventually finalized their offensive output off a corner at 78:48. Missimo drove the set piece in towards the top of the six. The feed deflected off fifth-year senior defender Carlee Allen’s head and out to the left of the box. Racing into the play, Miller roofed a seven-yard volley into the top of the twine to boost Texas’ advantage to 3-1.
Texas A&M created one final chance against the Texas defense as Hayes drove a 19-yard try straight into Madden arms for a save at 82:21.
From there, UT did a solid job of possessing the ball to run out the clock on its NCAA Tournament First Round victory.
WON. #RunWithTexas pic.twitter.com/PnmZFGvkd5
and it’s goodbye to A&M 🤘 pic.twitter.com/4ngu9RGKTr
the one that sealed the deal 🤘 pic.twitter.com/pnjBPjzfVD
64' | TRINITY. ANSWER. 💪🤘
Texas 2 – Texas A&M 1 pic.twitter.com/JqdXGWdrB7
at No. 8 Duke
11/18/2022 | 5:30 p.m.
ACC Network Extra/ESPN+
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