Soccer knocks off previously undefeated UC Santa Barbara, 2-1

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — Freshman forwards Cyera Hintzen and Tecora Turner each scored their first collegiate goals to help the Texas women’s soccer team knock off previously undefeated UC Santa Barbara, 2-1, Sunday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

The victory was the third in a row for the Longhorns, matching their longest streak from last season.

Texas head coach Angela Kelly said [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]she was pleased with the victory over such a strong opponent, especially considering the long minutes many of her starters played in the late-summer heat.

“I think when you’re a high level player, you need to expect to play 90 every single match, even in the state of fatigue,” Kelly said. “So that’s the mentality we build. Certainly there’s different types of positions that if, if we defend properly that, that have to be a little more explosive in nature, and that would be our frontrunners, so you saw more frequent subbing up there. There’s more of an anaerobic threshold for them. And then, really pleased… Julia (Dyche) and Katie (Glenn) in the midfield — I don’t think I took them off. I know Julia didn’t come off so, that’s a lot of work. Julia consistently covers a lot of space and a lot of yardage for us, and it’s her senior year, so I’m just really proud of how she’s commanding the midfield.”

Hintzen put the Longhorns ahead in the 10^th minute when she ran on to a loose ball and fired a 25-yard shot into the left side of the goal to give UT a 1-0 advantage that held up until halftime.

Hintzen said Kelly has been urging her team to start fast in order to play with the lead.

“I think we all wanted to start off strong,” Hintzen said, “and I think it’s just… (in the) first five minutes, (Kelly) always tells us to go hard and get a first goal, and so I think we just wanted to start off strong and go at them.”

Almost immediately after the intermission, UCSB got the equalizer when Amanda Ball converted an assist from Sydney Magnin in the 47^th minute.

Turner then scored the game-winner for UT in the 65^th minute, when Turner collected a feed from forward Alexa Adams and dribbled through three UCSB defenders before firing a shot past Gaucho goalkeeper Brittney Rogers, who entered the game having allowed just one goal in 600 minutes.

The game was the Longhorns’ last before opening Big 12 play at 6 p.m. Friday in Waco against Baylor, and Turner said a victory over the Gauchos should serve as a confidence boost going into games against conference opponents.

“I think it means a lot, like it’s giving us momentum to go into conference play and it’s showing us that we can beat ranked teams’” she said. “We can beat teams that are undefeated, and it’s showing us how good we are.”

Friday’s game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Plus.
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