 "Photo: Brian Ray")
For the Texas women's soccer team, it was a weekend of firsts.
Two Longhorns earned their first career goals, while one earned her first of the season. Goalie Dana Hall pitched her first shutout of the year in a 5-0 rout of Florida International, but also gave up her first multiple-goal game in a 3-2 win over Loyola.
After seeing success with the 3-4-3 lineup against Michigan, Texas head coach Chris Petrucelli used the same strategy in both weekend games. Since making the change from the 3-3-4, Texas has scored 12 goals in three games and has improved its record to 3-1.
"The fourth midfielder has spurred our attack by giving us more players in their end," Petrucelli said. "It also helps on defense, because it keeps the ball in their end."
For the second game in a row, midfielder Nikki Thaden knocked in the Longhorns' first goal of the game. Thaden, in much the same way as she did against Michigan, picked a ball out of mid-air and stuck it past Florida International goalie Carly Agro to give No. 13 Texas the early advantage.
Shortly after, Kelly Wilson took a long ball from Caitlin Kennedy, made one move to the right of her defender and tucked a shot from the top of the penalty area into the lower right corner of the net. Wilson would score again in the second half, earning her eighth career multiple-goal game.
Less than two minutes later, Kelsey Carpenter found the exact same corner of the goal on a double assist from Thaden and Julie Gailey. Thaden earned her second consecutive three-point contest.
With the game well in hand, the Longhorns came out firing in the second half. Karen Haight corralled a ball on the FIU side of midfield at the 56-minute mark. Haight dribbled up and played a give-and-go inside the penalty box with Carpenter, who gave the ball back to Haight, who then stuck a shot in the back of the net. The goal was the first of the defender's two-year career at Texas.
"The coaches have emphasized attacking out of the backfield," Haight said. "I saw an opportunity to take off and got a nice ball from Kelsey; all I had to do was finish."
After a season-high 34-shot display, Texas would carry the momentum into a physical match with Loyola. The Longhorn defense allowed only eight shots in both games on the weekend, but the Greyhounds were able to convert two of the shots into scores.
The majority of the first half was dominated by the home squad. Texas kept the ball in Loyola's end and created multiple scoring chances. Two of the more promising opportunities came less than one minute apart, when Ashley Foster had two shots sail high from about 10 yards away.
But the continued pressure finally cracked the tough Loyola defense.
Wilson received a ball from Kristen Teter just inside the penalty area and put a shot inside the far post to give the Longhorns an important 1-0 advantage.
The second half of the game was notably rougher. Two yellow cards were issued and multiple fouls gave both sides free kicks. In the 59th minute, however, the Greyhounds received a free kick from just outside the Longhorn penalty box. Naomi Daniels took the shot and fired just below the crossbar and over the outstretched arms of Hall.
"We wanted to make it an up tempo game," Texas head coach Chris Petrucelli said. "We fouled too much and slowed the game down."
After seeing its lead disappear, Texas responded emphatically. The Longhorns posted two goals within five minutes of the Loyola equalizer. Kennedy then reclaimed the Longhorn lead when she took an Amy Burlingham setup and drilled her first career goal by Erica Niemann. Minutes later, Kelly McDonald earned her first point of the season by blasting a shot into the upper left hand corner of the net. Wilson and Foster were both credited with the assist.
Loyola tacked on a late goal, but Texas held off the attack to earn a 3-2 win. The Longhorns will be back in action Friday when the team plays its first road and conference game at No. 4 Texas A&M.
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