Longhorns lasso 1/3 of Preseason All-Big 12 spots

AUSTIN, Texas — If the early accolades are any indication, it could be a record year for the Texas soccer team.

Four Longhorns landed on the 12-member 2019 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, taking up an awesome one-third of the spots on the squad.

[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]

Senior sensation Cyera Hintzen is joined by junior Haley Berg and sophomores Julia Grosso and Emma Regan on the preseason team. The four selections tie the school record, which was set in 2002, 2004, 2006 and most recently in 2007, so there has been some time since Texas was this highly touted.

Hintzen is on the preseason team for a third straight season and it’s the second time on the team for Berg.

Here’s a bit more on the Longhorns on the list (courtesy of texassports.com):

• A two-time United Soccer Coaches All-America, Hintzen prepares to begin her final season on the Forty Acres with 22 career goals (tied for sixth in UT history), 14 career assists (tied for 10th) and 58 career points (ninth). She’s coming off a 2018 campaign in which she led the league in assists (nine) and total points (29) while finishing tied for second in goals (10) on her way to earning Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors.
• Berg, a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region and All-Big 12 selection, is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she registered six goals (tied for 10th in the Big 12) and dished out three assists for 15 total points. The Celina, Texas, product managed point-scoring streaks of four and three matches, and totaled two points in a contest on seven separate occasions. She also powered the Longhorns during the 2019 spring campaign by scoring a remarkable 10 goals over just five matches, including hat tricks in victories over St. Edward’s and Monterrey Tech.
• A roster inclusion for the Canadian Women’s Senior National Team at the recent 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2018 Big 12 Conference Co-Freshman of the Year, Grosso prepares for her second campaign on the Forty Acres. As a rookie, the Vancouver, British Columbia, native played in 13 total matches with 11 starts (missed eight total matches because of international duty), totaling 931 minutes on the pitch with two goals on just seven shots on goal. Those two scores came over a span of just 6:04 of the second half to help boost the Longhorns past Kansas State, 4-0.
• Another capped member of the Canadian Women’s Senior National Team, Regan stepped right in as a dependable member of the Longhorns back line as a freshman in 2018. Despite missing seven contests for international duty, the Burnaby, British Columbia, product appeared in 14 matches with 13 starts, playing 1,077 minutes while registering her first two career collegiate assists during victories over UCF and Northern Colorado.

Texas will open its 2019 campaign this Friday, Aug. 16, at Mike A. Myers Stadium with an exhibition match at 7 p.m. against Air Force. The match will be broadcast live on Longhorn Network and admission to the game is free for all.

[/s2If] [s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] [habeabk] [/s2If]