Texas Soccer Advances to SEC Tournament Semifinals

The Longhorns will rematch No. 5 Arkansas on Thursday.

Texas Longhorns midfielder Lexi Missimo (10) dribbles through Alabama defense in the second half of the Longhorns' game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in their first SEC Conference match-up of the season at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Sept. 19, 2024. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Third-seeded Texas soccer defeated LSU 3-0 in the quarterfinal match of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday.

As one of the higher seeds, the Longhorns skipped the qualifying round between the lowest-ranked teams. LSU, ranked the 11th seed, defeated sixth-seeded Auburn 2-1 to make it to the quarters. The Longhorns finished the regular season with a 6-3-1 conference record.

The two teams faced each other in Pensacola, Fla., where the entire tournament will take place. The game was scoreless at halftime, but Texas found strength in the second half. SEC Freshman of the Year Amalia Villarreal broke the tie in the 54th minute followed by a brace from senior forward Holly Ward.

"I saw a team that grew into the match," head coach Angela Kelly said. "Obviously, it took a little too long for us to get going today for my liking but was really proud of their response and a great second half."

The Tigers recorded four of their 12 shot attempts of the night in a 30-minute stretch that separated Ward's first and second goals.

"I think with Lexi (Missimo), Ashlyn (Miller) and myself in the midfield, we were trying to figure out where I could run to be able to be 1-on-1 with (LSU's) goalkeeper," Ward said. "And once we got things going, everything started to take off from there."

This win marked the Longhorns' first in a conference tournament outside of the state of Texas.

Next for the Longhorns is a semi-final matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday. The Razorbacks, who were ranked top of the nation briefly this season, are the No. 2 seed and defeated Georgia 1-0 in the last round.

The SEC Soccer Championship will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, and the winner of the Arkansas vs. Texas semi-final will face the winner of Mississippi State vs. South Carolina.

Join the Community:

Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE

You can follow us for future coverage by subscribing to our newsletter here. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @LonghornsCountryOnSI & follow us on Twitter at @LonghornsSI

Other Texas Longhorns News:

MORE: Texas Longhorns Legend D.J. Augustin Posts Heartfelt Retirement Message

MORE: Texas Basketball: Two Players Earn All-SEC Preseason Honors

MORE: Texas Longhorns Freshman Guard Tre Johnson Earns First Preseason Watch List Honor

MORE: Texas Longhorns Guard Jordan Pope Named To Preseason Watch List

MORE: Tre Johnson Takes Over SEC Media Days for Texas Longhorns