 "Photo: Bruno Morlan/The Daily Texan")
The Longhorns ended home play with a collective sigh of relief after clinching a spot in the Big 12 Championship tournament following their nail-biting weekend at Mike A. Myers Track and Soccer Stadium.
On a cool Friday night, the Longhorns (8-7-3, 4-2-3 Big 12) faced Texas Tech (8-7-2, 3-3-2 Big 12). The calm weather was about the only peaceful part of that evening as Texas was forced to play catch-up all game. In the 16th minute, Red Raider freshman Dawn Ward connected on a corner kick from Connor Williams. Tech scored again in the 49th minute, sending Texas into panic mode down 2-0.
Finally in the 73rd minute, Amanda Lisberger scored on a rebound, putting the Longhorns within one goal. To cap off the comeback, senior Emily Anderson scored in the final minutes of the game to send the match into overtime. No goals were scored in the extra session, and the thrilling game ended in a 2-2 tie.
Coach Christopher Petrucelli wanted the win but was happy with the draw, as it showed the Longhorns’ resilience.
“We fought all the way to the end, which is a big quality round. It’s nice to see them continue to fight and get a draw out of a game like this,” he said.
While Friday was a high-scoring affair, Sunday’s “Senior day” match against the Colorado Buffaloes (8-8, 5-3 Big 12) was a defensive exhibition. Texas goalie Alexa Gaul faced a pressing forward line from the Buffaloes numerous times but handily thwarted their advances.
“She was solid, and she keeps getting better,” Petrucelli said about Gaul. “If you look at her now compared to when the season started, she is a much better goalkeeper.”
The teams took a 0-0 tie into double overtime when the Longhorns finally broke through. Sophie Campise scored her first goal of the year in the 104th minute of overtime to give Texas the 1-0 win.
“I saw Leah [Payne] crossing it, and I was just sneaking in the back, and I don’t really know what I was thinking,” Campise said, “I just saw it and scored.”
With the win, the Longhorns are tied for third in the Big 12 conference and have clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship tournament.
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