A triplet of goals, smothering pressure, relentless attacking and suffocating defense sees Texas seal a 3-0 victory against Houston Christian University on Thursday, completing its non-conference play. Texas finished its non-conference schedule unbeaten for just the fourth time in program history.
Texas continued its good run of form striking early in the first half. After a cross into the box from graduate student defender Madison Haugen, and after a few bounces in the box, senior midfielder Lexi Missimo found the ball and fired a header into the back of the net, making it her seventh goal of the season and 51st for her career.
After the early opening goal and throughout the rest of the game Texas kept constant possession of the ball, playing almost the rest of the game in HCU’s defensive half, with their own backline playing up to midfield and continuing to push HCU back into their half.
“In our sport you want to have every category, you want to have the most possession,” head coach Angela Kelly said. “You want the most shots, you want the most shots on goal.”
Offensively, the pressure continued as Texas totaled 17 shots in the first half, with just eight of those reaching the target of HCU’s goal. However, this pressure would not come with another goal for the Longhorns in the first half. Texas would end the game with 31 shots and 16 on goal.
“We had 31 shots and 16 of those hitting the face,” Kelly said. “That’s over 50%, that’s fantastic. And then out of that, we had three goals.”
After 13 minutes into the second half, the pressure from the first half seemed to transfer over and pay dividends. After a cross from freshman forward Amalia Villarreal into the box, followed by a finish in front of goal by senior forward Holly Ward, the Longhorns extended their lead to two.
Late in the second half, Texas would find its third goal of the game. A thunderous strike from the edge of the box by graduate student defender Lauren Lapomarda would put the finishing touches on a solid performance from the Longhorns.
Defensively, Texas senior goalkeeper Mia Justus claimed another clean sheet, her sixth of the season, after facing just two shots all game and without needing to make a save.
“Almost 50% of the matches she plays are clean sheets,” Kelly said. “But if she were talking to you right now she would tell you that none of that happens without the defense in front of her..”
Texas returns to action again next Thursday as it begins SEC conference play for the first time ever against the Alabama Crimson Tide at home at 7:00 p.m.
