The Texas soccer team exploded for three goals in the first half to carry them to a comfortable 4-0 win against Texas State on Friday night.

The Longhorns’ aggressive offensive movement propelled the team to victory over the Bobcats. Texas’ quick ball movement kept the Bobcats’ from setting up an offensive attack, with Texas keeping the ball in their possession for over two-thirds of the game.

The Longhorns control of the ball paid off, with the team getting in 25 total shot attempts. Texas State, on the other hand, managed a meager two shot attempts.

Although the Bobcats were held scoreless, Beth Agee, a Texas State freshman goalkeeper, caused trouble for the Longhorns’ offensive moves. Agee blocked seven shot attempts from the Longhorns, or 28% of total shots from Texas. 

However, Agee’s defensive measures were not enough to save the Bobcats from defeat. Texas’ time-of-possession advantage gave the Longhorns more than enough shot attempts to win the game. 

Each of Texas’ four goals was scored by a different player, which demonstrates the offensive strength distributed throughout the team. 
 
Freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo enjoyed a memorable Texas debut with one goal and two assists. Veteran midfielders, junior Julia Grosso and senior Haley Berg, also scored one goal each. Missimo’s strong performance, coupled with Grosso and Berg’s consistency, could provide a dangerous combination in the spring season.

Missimo’s electric debut justifies the hype that surrounded her when she entered Texas’ program. The midfielder graduated high school early to join the team in January, and her performance Friday indicates that her sacrifice is paying off so far. 

Friday night’s win over Texas State is representative of the Longhorns’ drive to have an improved spring season. The Longhorns ended the fall season with a 4–5 record after a painful season finale loss to the Texas Tech Raiders. 

With the addition of Missimo to the team, combined with the steady excellence of Haley Berg and Julia Grosso, the Longhorns are already off to a great start. The dynamic offensive efforts from Texas on Friday night show the Longhorns have the ability to score points at a high clip. 

The Longhorns will look to start a win streak when the team travels to Waco to play Big 12 foe Baylor next Thursday. Texas last faced Baylor in the fall and won 1-0.