On a chilly night in Ames, Iowa, Texas soccer managed to squeak out a 1-1 draw against a feisty Iowa State team in sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo’s long-awaited return to the lineup.

As per usual for the Longhorns during their five-game winning streak, Texas struggled to convert on its numerous opportunities in the first half. While Texas dominated the pace, outshooting the Cyclones eight to four in the opening period, the offense faltered at times, never seeming to be on the same page.

However, a ray of hope for the Longhorns revealed itself in the 27th minute. For the first time since early in the conference opener against TCU, head coach Angela Kelly subbed sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo into the game. Missimo’s clean bill of health is a breath of fresh air for Kelly, as her playmaking has been sorely missed.

“Lexi’s a premier player in the country, number one recruit in the country, and we obviously miss her connectivity in there,” Kelly said Sept. 30. “When the game opens up like that, she would be able to take advantage of it. So, (we) certainly miss her, and want to get her back as soon as we possibly can.”

Once she entered the game, it didn’t take long for Missimo to make her presence felt as a facilitator.

Almost immediately, the offense moved up and down the pitch like a well-oiled machine, with Missimo placing her patented through passes just ahead of sophomore forward Trinity Byars for runs at the goal. While none of these opportunities resulted in a goal, the Texas offense looked as dangerous and sharp as it had before Missimo’s ankle injury.

Iowa State scored in the 57th minute on a nice combination play off of a corner kick, giving the Cyclones a 1-0 lead against the Big 12-leading Longhorns, but the deficit didn’t last long. Missimo set up a beautiful give-and-go with Byars just outside the top of the box for the tying score, making it a 1-1 game in the 68th minute.

Missimo was the missing catalyst for the Texas offense, because as good as Byars is, teams have been able to double and sometimes triple-team Byars in the attacking third. With Missimo in the game, even if she doesn’t quite have all of the explosiveness back yet in her recovering ankle, teams are forced to respect her, which opens the offense up for Byars. Her special ability to make plays and put the ball in spots that very few players in the country can manage makes Missimo an invaluable asset to Texas.

The game got a little dicey towards the end, with both teams making last-ditch efforts at scoring the winning goal, but in the end both teams walked away with a draw and one point toward the Big 12 standings. 

The Longhorns will be happy to come away with a draw, looking to stay ahead of TCU. Texas plays again Sunday in its last road conference game of the season, taking on Oklahoma State in Stillwater.