Texas soccer coach picks up 200th career victory

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — When they earn significant victories, coaches often deflect credit, insisting that games are “all about the players.”

But when the University of Texas soccer team beat the College of Charleston, 3-1, Friday, it was, in fact, about UT head coach Angela Kelly, who collected her 200^th career victory in the game.

She tried the “all about the players” approach before begrudgingly looking back on her career.

“It’s always about the players (speaking about her milestone victory),” Kelly said. “Win [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]No. 201 is just as important as No. 200 in my book. But if we are going to reflect, I need to reflect on all of my past recruiting classes. I’ve been coaching now for 17 years, so there are a ton of players at two programs that gave blood, sweat and tears for that. So, I’m really appreciative of them, and the opportunity that the University of Tennessee, Joan Cronan and the legendary Pat Summitt gave me just for taking a first chance on me at a very young age. I’m very grateful for that as well as for the tremendous opportunity that the University of Texas has provided me since 2012 as head coach of the Longhorns.”

The victory, which evened the Longhorns’ record at 1-1-0, was Kelly’s 40^th at Texas, after she piled up 160 as the head coach at the University of Tennessee.

Forwards Olivia Brook, Jasmine Hart and Alexa Adams each scored a goal for the Longhorns at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Brook got UT on the scoreboard first, when she converted assists from Hart and Emma Jett in the 22^nd minute. Less than five minutes later, Hart gave her team the last goal they would need when she collected a pass from Monique Iannella in the 26^th minute and doubled the UT lead.

College of Charleston got its goal shortly the halftime intermission, but then early in the second half, Adams raced past four defenders to account for the final 3-1 score.

Hart’s assist and game-winning goal were the headlines, but her overall play caught her coach’s eye.

“She was fearless,” Kelly said. “She’s wonderful because when you tell her something, she immediately wants to apply it, so there’s the application of the implementation right away. I mentioned that there are always chances every time you touch the ball and when you’re in the attacking third, that’s an opportunity. She obviously took it to heart — no pun on words. I’m really proud of the way in that she was an aggressor. She took care of the ball, she held it in well and she got in behind. I think it was a collective team effort; they were just all over the field. They bought into and believed in one another and battled to win the first and second balls.”

Hart, in turn, said turned the credit and attention back on her coach.

“She works really hard,” Hart said of Kelly. “She really deserves it. She puts in so much work for this team, and she’s a huge competitor; she wants nothing but the best for us, and she deserves it more than any other coach.”

The Longhorns are back in action at 2 p.m. Sunday against Detroit in a game that will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.
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