Texas Longhorns begin SEC tenure with conference championship victory

PENSACOLA, Fla. – History. It can be written as quickly as a blind of an eye. It can occur with 88 seconds left in a double-overtime match or it can happen with 11 minutes remaining in regulation.

On Sunday afternoon, it was the later scenario for The University of Texas women’s soccer program as a Carly Montgomery goal during the 79th minute not only gave the No. 21 Longhorns a 1-0 win over No. 14 South Carolina, but also gave the Texas athletic department its first SEC Championship since the institution joined the league on July 1, 2024.

“I’m so incredibly proud of this team. Just what a battle, right? ” said Texas Head Coach Angela Kelly. “We didn’t have much left in the tank after the other night, but the fact that the score at half today was one that we liked, it gave us the ability to open up the press a little more with only 45 minutes left. We weathered the first half and then opened up during the second half and executed a wonderful set piece.”

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Following a first half that saw not only South Carolina be credited with seven shot attempts compared to Texas’ three but also the beginning of a torrential downpour that blanketed the soccer pitch with constant rain for the remainder of the match, the Gamecocks returned to the pitch after halftime and continued looking for a break-through goal. Despite shooting the ball six times over the course of the second half’s first five minutes, the goal never came.

It didn’t come on Brianna Behm’s shot in the 59th minute or Catherine Barry’s attempt during the 65th minute.

But it did come from Texas. And it came in the form of sophomore Carly Montgomery’s second goal of the season, her first since Texas’ 3-1 win against San Diego State on Sept. 5, 2024.

After having just three shot attempts throughout the first 30 minutes of the second half, Lexi Missimo (three attempts), Ashlyn Miller (one) and Amalia Villarreal (one) combined for five attempts on goal over a four-minute stretch that proceeded Montgomery’s moment.

As Villarreal’s shot was block by a Gamecock defender and rolled out of bounds, the Texas offense was awarded its second corner kick in a 49-second span. And just like the first kick that led to Villarreal’s shot attempt, Missimo’s second corner kick found a Longhorn teammate: Montgomery.

With Villarreal gaining attention from Gamecock players while moving around in the 6-yard box, the 5-foot-10 defender out of Charlotte, North Carolina broke away from her defender and headed Missimo’s corner kick past multiple South Carolina players manning the goal line, including goalkeeper Tsaousis Christina to push the Longhorns ahead, 1-0, on the scoreboard.

🗣️ “Is that a SEC Championship worthy goal…” ABSOLUTELY IT IS. 🔥

No. 21 @TexasSoccer takes down No. 14 South Carolina to take the SEC Tournament Championship‼️#NCAASoccer x 🎥 SECNpic.twitter.com/oMFMceXmEN

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) November 10, 2024

Holly Ward had two looks over the last 10 minutes to extend the Longhorn lead but her shot seven seconds after Montgomery’s goal was blocked, while an attempt with 22 seconds left in the game was saved by Tsaousis.

South Carolina had two looks at a match-tying goal over the last five minutes, but a shot by Corinna Zullo was saved by Mia Justus, before a shot off the foot of Catherine Barry went wide right of the frame during the 85th minute. After Barry’s shot, the Gamecocks were not credited with a shot attempt for the remainder of the match.

Texas (16-3-2) will find out its postseason destination on Monday, Nov. 11, when the NCAA will hold its Division I women’s soccer selection show at 3 p.m. CT.