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Sept. 21, 2012

Box Score| Box Score

AMES, Iowa – In its first Big 12 Conference match of the campaign, the Texas Soccer program got off to a strong start, shutting out Iowa State and scoring four times in the first half to record a 4-0 victory on Friday evening inside the ISU Soccer Complex.

Sophomore Sharis Lachappelle and senior Kristin Cummins scored less than three minutes apart, at 13:56 and 16:34, and freshman Lindsey Meyer added two goals, at 28:42 and 39:32, to lift the Longhorns to the victory.

The four scores are the most the program has recorded in a Big 12 opener since tallying seven against Iowa State on Sept. 29, 2002. The four goals also give the program 10 in its last three matches, the highest-scoring three-game stretch since Aug. 22-28, 2011, when the Longhorns produced 11 against Houston, Georgia and Cal State Northridge.

Just three minutes into Friday’s contest, ISU’s Erin Green fired the initial shot, but UT freshman goalkeeper Abby Smith made the save. The Longhorns responded in the next minute with a shot that went wide left by senior Hannah Higgins. Texas sophomore Allison Smith took another shot in the fifth minute, but it was blocked. In the seventh minute, Higgins shot again following a corner kick and it hit off the side of the net.

After the teams exchanged shots, Lachappelle gave the Longhorns a 1-0 lead. Higgins tallied the assist as her cross was sent to the back of the net by Lachappelle. It was Higgins’ 13th career assist, moving her into a tie for 10th on Texas’ all-time list. It was also Higgins’ sixth point in the last three matches after having two through the first eight contests.

Neither team managed another shot until 25:22, when the Cyclones’ Megan Longobardi missed high. In the 29th minute, it was Meyer scoring off a corner kick for her third career goal. Junior Gabby Zarnegar tallied the assist as Meyer headed the serve into the back of the net. The two connected again in the 40th minute with another Meyer header off a corner from Zarnegar.

In the second half, another Texas corner kick, this one in the 48th minute, led to a shot, but sophomore Brooke Gilbert missed high. Iowa State forced Abby Smith to make another save at 59:57 on a shot by Amanda Woelfel. Three minutes later, Haley Albert headed one toward the goal, but missed wide.

Cummins had another shot in the 68th minute, but her header off a free kick from sophomore Julie Arnold was saved. The Cyclones responded with another attempt in the 70th minute by Longobardi, but it went high.

In the final 20 minutes, Iowa State tallied two shots, at 84:26 by Brittany Morgan and at 86:42 by Jennifer Dominguez. Texas sophomore Cierra Grubbs missed wide at 88:18 before ISU took the last shot at 89:20, by Dominguez, which was saved by Abby Smith to preserve the shutout.

Texas wraps up the first weekend of league action Sunday with a 1 p.m. Central match at Oklahoma (4-4-2).

Post-Match Quotes
Head coach Angela Kelly
On the team’s performance tonight
“I’m really proud of their effort and willingness to follow our system and style of play. They fought very, very well in this game. It was a game that was fought in the midfield with a lot of balls in the air. We did a tremendous job to win those duals. I’m just really proud of the team.”

On the offense producing four goals
“We have to be very advantageous in every situation. I thought we did a good job taking advantage of our opportunities tonight. Set pieces are a huge part of the game of soccer. We have to have a structure within how we play. Their execution tonight within our set pieces and style was tremendous.”

On facing Oklahoma Sunday
“The message to the team at the end of the game was that tonight has to be worth while. It’s about how we respond on Sunday. It’s absolutely one game at a time. Every single team in this conference is a tremendous opponent.

“We’re not going to look ahead or rest on any laurels, but are going to enjoy this evening and each other’s company. We’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and prepare for Sunday. That’s the way we’re going to take every single opponent from here on out.”

Sophomore Sharis Lachappelle
On her first Big 12 match
“I think we all had a new energy going into this game. We had a new slate. We wanted to start off the conference right. It was exciting that we executed how we were supposed to and got the win.

“I felt prepared coming into tonight. We played some very tough teams early on and I’ve been playing with the girls. I felt very adjusted by this point.

“[Head coach] Ange [Kelly] has said a lot that the conference play really matters. Going into tonight we knew we had a chance to win and do everything we wanted to this season. We’re playing for the seniors since this is their last year. We want to win for them.”

On her first game-winning goal
“Hannah [Higgins] played a great ball in, Gabby [Zarnegar] was also in the area and I was in the right place at the right time. I made my run early, was unmarked and put the ball in the back of the net.”

On the differences between Big 12 and Conference USA
“I think the style of play is faster in the Big 12. There are some great teams in Conference USA, but as a whole the Big 12 is very competitive.”

Freshman Lindsey Meyer
On her first Big 12 match
“I was really excited to play, especially for our seniors. It was tough and competitive, but we worked hard and executed.

“The speed of play picked up tonight. We did really well with that aspect, though. Our nonconference games prepared us well for tonight.

“We had a clean slate coming into tonight. This is our time and this is when it really counts. We’re definitely playing for and working hard for our seniors.”

On scoring off so many corner kicks
“I focus on getting away from my player a little bit and sighting the ball. I try to keep the ball down so it doesn’t go over the frame. I’m really trying to be in the right place at the right time as my teammates have been playing good balls all year. That really helps a lot.” 

Post-Match Notes
- The Longhorns improved to 17-2-1 all-time against Iowa State and 7-1-1 in Ames.
- Texas upped its record in Big 12 openers to 10-7-1. The program won its initial league match for the first time since topping Oklahoma 2-1 on Sept. 25, 2009.
- It is the Longhorns’ first league opener decided by more than one goal since a 2-0 win at Texas Tech on Sept. 22, 2006.
- It is the third time in program history UT has opened the league campaign with a win over ISU (W, 4-0/1998; W, 7-0/2002).
- In program history, Texas is 62-0 when scoring four or more goals.
- The four-goal margin of victory was the most by the program in a Big 12 match since downing Oklahoma 4-0 on Oct. 18, 2008.
- After starting a different lineup in the first eight matches of the year, the Longhorns have started the same group for three-straight contests, and gone 2-0-1.
- Ten Longhorns made their Big 12 Conference debuts tonight – Abby Smith, Lindsey Meyer, Sharis Lachappelle, Ali Schmalz, Kelsey Shimmick, Sydney Shutter, Chantale Campbell, Aaron Strawser, Emilie Campbell and Brinkley Field.
- Lachappelle’s goal at 13:56 was the first in a road contest by the Longhorns since Oct. 16, 2011, when Alexa Gaul scored at 86:59 at Texas Tech.
- Lachappelle scored her third career goal and first game-winner. All three of her scores have given UT a 1-0 lead.
- Senior Hannah Higgins tallied the 13th assist of her career, moving her into a tie for 10th on Texas’ all-time list.
- Higgins’ 13 assists are also the third most among active players in the Big 12.
- Meyer joined senior Kristin Cummins as the only Longhorns with multiple-goal matches this season.
- Sophomore Gabby Zarnegar entered the contest with one assist in her career and tallied two in the match. She became the first UT player with two assists in a game since Higgins at Missouri on Oct. 2, 2011.
- Freshman goalkeeper Abby Smith recorded the first shutout by a Texas goalkeeper in a Big 12 season opener since Dianna Pfenninger blanked Texas A&M on Sept. 26, 2008, in a 0-0 draw.