With the conclusion of conference play in the rearview mirror, Texas soccer is set to navigate a challenge they have yet to face: the SEC Tournament.
The team has an overall record of 13-3-2, but it certainly wasn’t accumulated without road bumps. Senior center back EmJ Cox and senior forward Trinity Byars both suffered season-ending knee injuries, forcing the team to make major adjustments with conference play quickly approaching.
Cox, who was named 2022 Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, went down during the second game of the season against Cal State Bakersfield on Aug. 18. Byars is the Longhorns’ all-time leader in goals (52), and her injury sidelined her during the fifth game of the season against Central Michigan on Sept. 1.
“Trinity Byars is one of my best friends,” said senior midfielder Ashlyn Miller. “So losing her was terrible not only for the team, but for the program.”
However, despite injuries, fast changes and other setbacks, the team established a record of 6-3-1 during the conference season, securing their spot as the No. 3 seed for the upcoming tournament.
As anticipated, senior midfielder Lexi Missimo is one of the players that stepped up the most in Byars’ absence. Top Drawer Soccer ranked her as the number one player during the preseason, and she has proved herself worthy of the ranking by playing composed soccer and finding the back of the net 12 times during the regular season. The most recent of these goals came in a 1-0 victory against Georgia earlier this afternoon.
To add to the strong offensive effort, freshman forward Amalia Villarreal tied for first in the SEC for goals scored in conference-only action with five goals. Only four other NCAA women’s players have accumulated five goals in SEC conference play, and she is one of two freshman to accomplish this feat.
On the opposite side of the field, senior goalkeeper Mia Justus has also had a noteworthy season, with a particularly impressive shutout performance in a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma.
“The best goalkeepers in the world make all the saves they should and probably two or three that they shouldn’t,” head coach Angela Kelly said. “And that’s why I think Mia Justus is one of the best goalkeepers in this country.”
As far as the tournament goes, Mississippi State and Arkansas secured the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, and each team has taken Texas down by a one goal margin this season.
Both teams, along with Texas and No. 4 seed South Carolina, have earned first round byes in the tournament. Texas will battle the winner of the Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M first round match in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
“This is not going to be just a walk in the park,” Miller said. “You know, you’re going to fight for every game.”
