In what was a back-and-forth game until the very end, No. 16 Texas came up just short against Duke, losing 1-0 in the second round of the NCAA Championship tournament off of an 88th minute header by junior defender Katie Groff.

Friday’s game was headlined by a handful of impressive sophomore contributors on both sides. Heading into the match, Duke’s sophomore forward Michelle Cooper led the team with 15 goals and 11 assists, ranking top ten in the nation in total goals, assists and points. Texas on the other hand was led all season by sophomore forward Trinity Byars, who led the Longhorns with 17 goals and ranks within the top 19 in the nation for goals, assists and points.

“They’re a fantastic squad,” head coach Angela Kelly said prior to the match. “They have a prolific goal scorer, they’re very well coached, very well organized.”

While Cooper and Byars won’t face each other again this season, they will likely meet in January as two of the top contenders for the MAC Hermann award, given to the most outstanding player in women’s collegiate soccer. 

In Texas’ loss to Duke, the Longhorns struggled to get their best playmakers involved in the offensive attack throughout the game, similar to their loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament. Byars didn’t record a shot until the 86th minute, while her running mate in sophomore midfielder Lexi Missimo was a non-factor against a tough Blue Devil defense.

Texas’ best look at the goal for the entire game came in the 69th minute. Missimo set up for a free kick just outside of the box and layered in a beautiful ball to the far post, primed for a header. Unfortunately, the ball sailed past the post and fell harmlessly to the pitch past the net, ending the Longhorns’ attack.

Such was the story all game, with Texas’ attack never quite meshing on a cold Friday night in Durham, North Carolina.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Texas ended the year with one of its most impressive seasons in school history.

Byars broke the school record for goals in a season with her aforementioned 17 scores, Missimo broke the school record for assists with 15 and the Longhorns swept the Big 12 regular season awards. Byars won Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, sophomore defender EmJ Cox won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Kelly won Big 12 Coach of the Year. 

“The makeup of the team, the chemistry that they have and the genuine care that they have for each other off the field has definitely filtered onto the field,”  Kelly said. “You mix that with the immense talent that we have along with leadership and youthful talent, it’s just a wonderful combination for this season.”

An early exit from the NCAA Championship tournament was far from the plan for the Longhorns, but their young core of players provide excitement about another run next season. Byars, Missimo and Cox, plus fellow sophomores in forward Holly Ward and midfielders Jilly Shimkin and Ashlyn Miller, make up a talented returning squad for Kelly next season and will hope to build on this team’s success.

“I think that anytime you can celebrate, you need to celebrate,” Kelly said. “You need to find ways to figure out every single day what to be joyful about.”