HOUSTON, Texas – In front of 924 fans on Sunday night at Holloway Field, Longhorns freshman defender EmJ Cox managed to score her first collegiate goal at the 62:04 mark, but it wasn't enough as Texas soccer (1-2-2) dominated the match shot-wise but eventually settled for a 1-1 (2OT) tie at No. 19 Rice (5-0-1).

Texas Team Notes

• Texas' 35 shots marked the most the Longhorns have posted in a single match (previous high was 30) since the arrival of head coach Angela Kelly to lead the program prior to the 2012 season. The program record is 46 shots established against Sam Houston State back in 2006.
• Texas freshman defender EmJ Cox's goal off a corner kick was the first of her collegiate career, while freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo was credited with her third assist of 2021 and her fifth career helper.
• With 12 shots on goal at Rice, the Longhorns have now reached double figures for shots on frame in each of their last two contests.

The Details

Off a long ball up the right wing, freshman forward Trinity Byars got a step on the Rice defense and got Texas on the board shot-wise at 2:33 with a 14-yard blast into the arms of Owl keeper Bella Killgore.

After Missimo hammered a 17-yard effort on frame from the right side of the 18 at 10:23, Rice answered back at the other end with Natalie Gorji bouncing a shot from the top of the box into senior goalkeeper Savannah Madden's arms (14:47).

Off a quick 24th minute turnover and counter, Texas freshman forward Holly Ward ended up in possession out on the left wing. Her eventual attempt from 16 yards out traveled just over the cross bar.

Texas kept the pressure on throughout the first half as freshman forward Tati Fung (29:30), senior midfielder Julia Grosso (32:09), senior defender Mackenzie McFarland (33:54) and Ward (34:01) all fired wide of frame.

During the 38th minute, Rice's Madison Kent hit a shot from distance wide of the right post. Texas' McFarland later drove a lengthy try in on frame to Killgore at 39:11 as the teams headed to the break at 0-0.

Right out of the halftime locker room, it was Rice turning up the pressure as Delaney Schultz (47:47) and Caleigh Boeckx (49:22) forced Madden into a pair of stops near her left post.

With both teams struggling to locate the final pass in the offensive third, Texas' breakthrough came from a set piece at 62:04. Off a corner kick, Missimo fed a ball towards the back post. Waiting was EmJ Cox as the freshman leapt above everyone to drive a header down and into the left side of the twine to make it 1-0.

Rice answered back to tie the match just 2:16 later as Mariana Elizondo pounced on a deflected shot near the top of the box and blasted home into the right edge of the twine from 20-plus yards out.

Texas had another promising chance in the 68th minute. Off a cross from the right wing, Missimo leapt up and tried a quick right-footed volley from 12 yards, but her shot popped up over the bar.

During the 72nd minute, Fung tried a long shot from distance only to have her effort rattle off the right post. A follow-up try 25 seconds later by Grosso was caught out of the air by Rice's keeper.

The Owls came desperately close to grabbing the lead off a corner at 84:28. The ball was delivered to the back post where Vyviene Spaulding was waiting to try a shot from six yards out. Her effort appeared to be saved off the line by McFarland before the Longhorns were able to clear their lines.

Cox forced another Rice stop at 86:34 as her 12-yard header again traveled right into Killgore's hands.

Texas had the better of the first overtime period, out-shooting the Owls, 4-2. The best chance came at 97:43 as Fung ripped a shot from the left wing that forced Killgore to make a grab at her right post.

Senior defender Cameron Brooks tried her luck from well out on the left wing just :32 seconds into the second OT, but her 20-yard try ventured about a foot over the woodwork.

Fung forced another save at 104:03 as her effort was grabbed by Killgore. Over the remainder of extra time, the Longhorns managed two corners and a trio of shots from Brooks (104:46) and Byars (108:48 & 109:46) but couldn't find the winner as the match finished in a 1-1 (2OT) deadlock.