The bad news kept on coming for the University of Texas soccer players this past offseason.

The athletic administration decided not to renew head coach Chris Petrucelli’s contract after going 11-9-1 overall, 3-4-1 in the Big-12, and failing to move past the first round of the NCAA tournament; veteran players like All Big-12 junior goalkeeper Alexa Gaul and sophomore defender Nina Frausing-Pedersen began to negotiate transfers (Boston College and California respectively); then, the team had to stand by helplessly as senior captain Kylie Doniak fought for her life after a drunk driver hit her as she walked with friends in downtown Austin on February 3 (Doniak is making great strides in her ongoing recovery).

“Things happen, and they’re not in our control, but you control the controllables, and you move on from there. So, that’s what we did,”

Hannah Higgins

senior midfielder Kristen Cummins said after scoring the game winner in a 1-0 exhibition victory against Texas State August 10.

The Longhorns weathered the unpredictable and tragic offseason together and focused on what they could control over the summer: team bonding and conditioning.

“We’re there for each other in ways that I’ve never seen a team there for each other,” Cummins said.

Despite only joining with the incoming freshmen five days earlier, the core group of 2011 returners illustrated this emphasis on unity in the opening 45 minutes against the Bobcats. Texas dominated the run of play by creating turnovers off high pressure defense and then attacking together with urgency. The experienced tandem of Cummins, their top  goal scorer from a year ago (along with Doniak) and senior forward Hannah Higgins orchestrated quick combinations to spring in behind the Texas State back four and put consistent pressure on opposing goalkeeper Caitlyn Rinehart.

“I really liked the way that we moved the ball. And, if we lost the ball, no matter where it was on the field, we were transitioning to win it back. I think that will be a key for us in the future,” Cummins said.

Despite the fast pace and constant push in the first half, it wasn’t until the final 15 minutes that the Longhorns were able to break through the stingy Bobcat defense by capitalizing on a scramble off a corner kick. It was Cummins who corralled a ball sent back in by senior Kara Hoffman at the 18 and poked ahead by sophomore Sharis Lachappelle. Cummins turned on the left side of the six-yard box and blasted a left footer toward the far post.

“First and foremost we want to win,” new head coach Angela Kelly said following her first victory on the 40 acres. “What we really want to do is we want to create soccer-minded individuals so that they play what they see and they make their own decisions on the field. Ultimately, we want to play very attractively.”

The quality of play deteriorated in the second half when Kelly started mostly freshmen in the midfield and up top, but the defense continued to quell any attempt by Texas State to attack with sophomore centerbacks Julie Arnold and Brooke Gilbert anchoring the back four and playing the full 90 minutes. The clean sheet earned by sophomore goalkeeper Ava Vogel and minimal opposing offense encouraged Kelly. who will be without U20 Women’s National Team netminder freshman Abby Smith as she competes in the World Cup in Japan.

“I think this is a good benchmark,” Kelly said. “[There are] tons of things that every coach in the country is saying tonight that they need to work on. What I wanted to see tonight we were able to see, and I’m pleased with the camaraderie; I’m pleased with the effort.”

Whether it’s defending as a team or attacking as a team, Kelly wants her players to play with a unified intelligence, adjusting to the opponent throughout the game while still playing the new Longhorn brand of soccer.

“We want to keep possession of the ball, but if the team is going to have a high restraining line and they leave a lot of space in behind, then we want to be able to execute and make the proper decision and get in behind,” Kelly said. “The ultimate goal is to score more than the competition; we want to play what the game gives us.”

That adaptability has become synonymous with this 2012 squad that had no choice but to deal with what was given to them and move forward together. 

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