Meyer, Lachappelle shine in Soccer win at Iowa State
Sept. 22, 2012
Dalton Pool, Texas Media Relations AMES, Iowa -- Sophomore Sharis Lachappelle and fellow Longhorn newcomer Lindsey Meyer each had career days in leading Texas to a 4-0 victory over Iowa State in the squad's Big 12 Conference opener Friday night. "We all had a new energy coming into this game given the new slate," Lachappelle said. "We just wanted to start off conference play right. It was really exciting to see us execute the way we wanted to, and most importantly, get the win." Lachappelle, the sophomore transfer from the University of Houston, got the Longhorns off to a fast start in the 14th minute with her first career Big 12 goal, which would end up becoming the match's game-winning goal. "I had made my run early and then Hannah (Higgins) played a great ball in. I just happened to be in the right spot, and put it in the back of the net," Lachappelle said of the score. Just three minutes later it was Kristin Cummins yet again coming through UT. The reliable senior scored her fourth goal of the season. Once more Lachappelle was in the mix by recording the assist, her first as a Longhorn. With Texas now up 2-0 over the Cyclones, it was Meyer who would step up and put the game away. In the 29th minute the freshman scored her third goal of the season, off a header on junior Gabby Zarnegar's corner kick. Then just 11 minutes later, and as the first half was about to come to a close, it was Zarnegar again serving up a corner kick to the 6-foot tall Meyer, who would use her head once more to put the ball in the back of the net.
Meyer has proven herself to be a deadly force in the air and the top target for the Longhorns on set plays. She now has four goals on the season, all of which have come on headers off of corner kicks. "My teammates have been playing great balls all year, so I just try to focus on getting away from my defender, locating the ball, and then heading it down," Meyer said of her success thus far on scoring off of set plays. "But a lot of the credit should go to my teammates like Gabby (Zarnegar), Hannah (Higgins), and Sharis (Lachappelle) for serving great balls and making my job easy." Head coach Angela Kelly has stressed all year how important conference play is, and that everything leading up to this point was meant to prepare the team for the challenges and rigors of the Big 12. Kelly was thus very pleased that her team rose to the occasion and started off conference play in such a commanding fashion. "I'm really proud of their effort and willingness to follow our system and style of play," said Kelly. "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." The Longhorns now find themselves in the midst of Big 12 Conference play and look to carry their momentum into Norman, Okla., as they take on the Oklahoma Sooners Sunday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. |
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