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.
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Isa Almeida is a writer covering the Texas Longhorns for SI/Fan Nation, having joined the team on June 1, 2024. Raised in Southeast Brazil, Isa is now a third-year Journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin. Fluent in both English and Portuguese, Isa brings a diverse background and a wealth of knowledge to her writing. In addition to her work with SI/Fan Nation, Isa also covers the soccer and women's basketball beats for The Daily Texan. Her journalism journey is firmly rooted in her academic pursuits and her passion for sports.
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