Texas women’s soccer prevail over TAMUCC Islanders after scoreless first half

Christina Huang

In what should have been a tuneup game for the rest of the spring season, the Texas women’s soccer team found themselves in a dog fight against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first half.

The Islanders, fresh off a gritty 1-0 loss to Sam Houston State, displayed a stifling defensive effort that kept the Longhorns scoreless through the first half. Texas, who won their first game of the spring season 4-0 against Texas State, had to find a way to overcome the defensive pressure.

Despite not scoring a single goal, Texas had 15 shot attempts in the first half, with four coming from freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo and three attempts coming from junior midfielder Julia Grosso.


Although Missimo and Grosso continued their pattern of offensive domination, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s goalkeeper, senior Kyleigh Hall, deflected eight of the Longhorns’ shot attempts. Hall’s quickness and agility proved troublesome for Texas’ offense.

Grosso finally broke the scoreless streak at the 57-minute mark, and her score set the offensive tone for the rest of the game. Junior forward Mackenzie McFarland scored Texas’ second goal of the night as the Longhorns began to pull ahead of the Islanders.

Despite Hall’s solid goalkeeping skills, the Texas offense was able to will the team to victory.

The Islanders were never able to match Texas’s offensive production, as the final score of the game was 3-0. The level of physicality from the Islanders that allowed them to keep up with the Longhorns in the first half was not present in the remainder of the game.

Texas took a total of 28 shot attempts throughout the game compared to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s five. Missimo led the Longhorns in shots, accounting for eight of Texas’ total shot attempts.

Friday’s game was yet another example of Missimo’s star power and offensive effectiveness. Although Missimo did not score against the Islanders, her technical skills and offensive movement allowed Texas to gain more control over the game. .

Texas now has a 3–0 all-time record against the Islanders. The Longhorns are currently 2–0 in their spring season and remain on the road as they prepare to face the Baylor Bears in Waco on March 31.