BYU, Utah hammer visiting Texas

BYU, Utah hammer visiting Texas
by Jessica Stamp
September 9, 2012

The University of Texas suffered its biggest loss in three years this weekend when BYU pushed across five goals in the second half against the Longhorns to move to 5-1 on the year. All five goals were high quality efforts with the showcase on BYU’s immense talent as opposed to some implosion on the Texas side.

"Full credit to BYU. That is one of the most explosive teams I have seen in a long time,” Texas Head Coach Angela Kelly said. "We will learn from this match and this will make us stronger."

In perhaps her last two games as a starter, sophomore goalkeeper Ava Vogel received the most action of her career, enduring 30 shots from BYU and 20 from Utah on Saturday. Freshman goalkeeper Abby Smith returns from winning the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan and will most likely take over for Texas in the net.

But it was really the speed and power of BYU that overtook the Longhorns across the field. Right back Dana Oldroyd Cusick pushed forward in the 54th minute to send a bomb from 35 yards out over Vogel’s head. The flood gates opened with freshman Michelle Murphy emerging as the Cougars’ points leader as she pushed across the next two goals and assisted the fourth as she found Carlee Payne Holmoe for the score. The Sandy, Utah native was last year’s Gatorade Utah State Player of the Year and now paces BYU in scoring on the season.

Senior Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall capped the scoring off with under five minutes remaining when she blasted a free kick into the back of the net, punctuating a powerful performance broadcast on Fox Soccer last Thursday.

The Longhorns could not rebound as they continued to suffer under the pressure of nearby Utah on Saturday. Vogel made six saves against the Utes, but in the 56th minute Jill Robison finished a ball from Katie Taylor to defeat the Horns 1-0.

Texas first year head coach Angela Kelly continues to tinker with her lineup, using eight different starting looks for her young squad this season.  She also continues to substitute liberally, getting a lot of players minutes early on in the season.

The Longhorns will next face Fresno State at home on Friday at 8 p.m. before finishing non-conference play against Denver at 7 p.m. Sunday.

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