The Longhorns found new life in their season Friday evening as they took down Kansas State 7-0 in what turned out to be the highest-scoring match from a Big 12 team since 2003.

While the Wildcats were searching for their first win, Texas sought to find a spark that could bring them back into Big 12 contention.

Led by senior midfielder Haley Berg, Texas dominated the first half. The early minutes were a good indication of how the match would play out.

In just the third minute, freshman forward Presley Echols found Berg for the first score of the night. Berg’s goal tied her for ninth all time in goals scored for the Longhorns.

Less than a minute later, junior midfielder Julia Grosso nearly scored another goal for Texas but could not convert. The shot count for the Longhorns would pile up from there.
In the minute 27, Berg, who made her presence felt the entire match, nearly scored her second goal off a highlight-worthy strike down the middle, but the crossbar denied her.

The Wildcats committed a critical foul in the minutes that followed, which would send junior outside back Emma Regan to attempt a penalty kick.

Regan would go on to score, increasing the lead to 2-0. The goal was the first of Regan’s collegiate career.

Kansas State could not match Texas’ energy in the first half, as it failed to convert on any of its nine shot attempts.

The second half was a continuation of what transpired in the first: Texas dominance. As the Wildcats’ defensive struggles continued, the Longhorns took advantage with an onslaught of goals.

The first came at the 59-minute mark when Grosso scored her second goal of the season.

Shortly after, junior outside back Cameron Brooks and sophomore midfielder Lauryn Oliver each  scored goals of their own, less than a minute apart. They increased the lead to 5-0 with 20 minutes left.

And it didn’t stop there. 

Freshman standout Echols, who came up big for the Longhorns two weeks ago against Oklahoma, joined the demolition as she scored her second goal of the season at the 73-minute mark.

Just when it looked like the Longhorns were done for the night, junior midfielder Kailey Smith sealed the victory with one last goal in the lastminute, tallying the final score at 7-0.

As great as Texas looked offensively, the Longhorns were equally impressive on defense.The Wildcats were held to just one shot attempt in the second half after totaling nine in the first.

Next week, Texas looks to carry over the same energy on the road in Ames, Iowa, against the Iowa State Cyclones, who are 1–3.

The burst of momentum couldn’t have come at a better time, as the next several weeks will be critical for the Longhorns and their Big 12 title aspirations.