The Texas Soccer program finished its first weekend of Big 12 Conference action with a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma Sunday afternoon inside John Crain Field. With the win, the Longhorns improved to 2-0-0 in the league for the first time since 2006.

For UT (5-6-1, 2-0-0 Big 12) on Sunday, it was sophomore Sharis Lachappelle tallying the game-winning goal for the second-straight contest. She scored at 8:40 on the first shot of the match. Freshman goalkeeper Abby Smith also posted her second-straight shutout, giving Texas blankings of its initial two league foes for the first time since 2002.

After the squads battled for possession for the opening eight minutes of Sunday’s contest, Texas was awarded a corner kick at 8:34. Junior Gabby Zarnegar served the ball toward the goal and Lachappelle headed it home for her second score in as many contests. The helper gave Zarnegar the assist on Texas’ last three goals, all with serves off corner kicks.

Texas’ Allison Smith fired wide at 10:16 and Oklahoma’s Renae Cuellar forced Abby Smith to make a save at 10:53. Zarnegar tallied her own shot on goal at 12:07, but Kelsey Devonshire came up with the stop for OU.

The Sooners’ Molly Richey had a pair of shots before UT responded with two more attempts, one by Zarnegar and the second from Abby Smith off a free kick, but Devonshire made stops on both. The squads exchanged shots in the 29th and 33rd minutes before Texas freshman Sydney Shutter took the final try of the half, at 39:26 that was stopped by Devonshire.

In the second stanza, neither team registered a shot until 51:56, when Katharine Nutman got a head on a free kick, but the attempt sailed high. UT senior Kristin Cummins answered with shots in the 55th and 56th minutes, but the first was blocked and the second was saved. Classmate Hannah Higgins nearly made it a 2-0 edge at 67:40 and 70:42, but her two shots each rolled about a foot wide of the net.

Oklahoma (4-5-3, 0-1-1 Big 12) had its best chance to score in the 75th minute on consecutive corner kicks from Cuellar after her initial shot was deflected out of bounds. UT cleared aside both corners. The Sooners had their final shot at 81:14 as Richey’s attempt was blocked by Lachappelle, preserving the Longhorns’ shutout.

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