Women's Soccer

Terriers Fall to No. 21 Texas In NCAA Tournament Opening Round

Courtesy of Boston University Communications

BOX SCORE

AUSTIN, Texas – Senior Morgan Fagan tallied a goal in the 20th minute, but the Boston University women's soccer program was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with a 4-1 loss to No. 21 Texas in the opening round on Friday evening at the Mike A. Myers Stadium.
 
BU (6-8-7) took a 1-0 lead when upon scoring its first goal in the Big Dance in nine seasons, but the Longhorns (17-3-2) leveled the score nine minutes later. Texas went on to score three goals in the second half to advance to the second round.
 
Graduate student Lily Matthews and sophomore Samantha Aronson tallied the assists on Fagan's third goal of the season. Freshman goalkeeper Bridget Carr made eight saves in net.
 
Holly Ward posted the first NCAA Tournament hat trick in Longhorn program history, finishing with all four goals. Lexi Missimo, Lilly Shimkin, Madison Haugen and Breana Thompson all registered assists to back netminder Mia Justus, who collected four saves.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • In the 12th minute, BU earned a free kick from 18 yards out near the top-right corner of the box. Junior Giulianna Gianino's in-swing could not find a Terrier inside the box.
  • A minute later, Carr made the game's first save as Amalia Villareal was alone for a 15-yard shot from inside the box.
  • Texas generated the game's first corner in the 19th minute, firing a shot over the crossbar after BU initially cleared it away. On the counter, Gianino whipped a 30-yard chance wide right.
  • BU struck first in the 20th minute when Matthews connected with Aronson, who crossed it from the left side. Neither team got a touch on the bounce, but Fagan caught up with it and buried a right-footed strike past Justus towards the left post.
  • The Longhorns equalized in the 29th minute off a corner kick. Missimo inserted the kick, and Carr had trouble collecting the in-swing. Ward finished it after the ball hit the ground.
  • Texas would have two more chances in the first half's final six minutes, but both shots were off target.
  • Gianino opened the second stanza with a 20-yard shot that narrowly floated over the woodwork in the 46th minute.
  • Fagan attempted a try for the brace in the 54th minute off a Longhorn turnover at the top of their own box. Justus made a sprawling stop to her left to deny the Terrier.
  • Texas went ahead in the 62nd minute as Ward broke through the middle gate and secured the brace.
  • Five minutes later, she earned the trick when she finished a cross from Haugen by the left corner.
  • Ward made it 4-1 in the 77th minute, drawing Carr out of the box and evading multiple Terrier defenders to send the ball home.
  • Carr made four saves in the final six minutes of the match, including a denial with a leaping save to send Chloe Shimkin's shot over the woodwork in the 84th minute. Junior Helene Tyburczy also helped with pressure by the right post to help Carr corral the save.
STATS
  • The Longhorns sported a 20-10 advantage in shots, including 12-5 in shots on target.
  • Gianino paced BU with three shots, while Fagan had two shots on goal.
  • Corner kicks favored Texas, 5-2.
  • Carr, Tyburczy and juniors Mackenzie Stickelman and Morgan Weaver played the full 90 minutes.
  • Neither side was issued a card in the match.
NOTES
  • Fagan is the first Terrier to score in the NCAA Tournament since Clare Pleuler '16 on Nov. 14, 2016 against St. John's.
  • The senior finishes her Terrier career with 16 goals and 41 points, the latter of which is good for a share with Rebecca Beyer '03 for 17th place in the Terrier record books.
  • Matthews registered her first assist since Oct. 12 at Lafayette. She recorded 11 assists and 17 points as a Terrier across five seasons.
  • Aronson caps the year with four assists, ranking second on the team.
  • Carr's eight stops were the most by a Terrier goalkeeper in an NCAA Tournament match since Christina Reuter '08 had nine saves against Boston College in the second round on Nov. 12, 2005.
  • BU was one of three teams to have a lead against Texas at home all season, joining Arkansas (Oct. 18) and Missouri (Oct. 24).
  • The Terriers are the first Patriot League team to notch a goal in the NCAA Tournament since Navy in the 2020-21 spring season.
  • The tally was also BU's first against an SEC foe in program history.