No. 15 Soccer’s Byars sparks home

Game Recap: Soccer | 08.20.2023 | Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, TX – The ever-going collegiate soccer résumé of Trinity Byars added another milestone during Texas' 6-0 win over Rice as the Richardson, Texas native tied the program's career record for hat tricks with three after scoring three first-half goals.

Byars, who has now been credited with the last three consecutive hat tricks in the program's history, tied Kelly Wilson, who accomplished the feat twice in 2003 and then once in 2004. Byars entered Sunday's contest tied with Kelly McDonald, who recorded a hat trick in 2002 and 2003, for the second most.

Byars' offensive outburst began at the 6:49 mark of the first half when she netted an unassisted goal through two sliding Rice defenders inside the 18-yard box. Less than six minutes later, Jilly Shimkin delivered a long ball from midfield to a streaking Byars down the center of the pitch that resulted in a 1-on-1 opportunity for the forward. And the hat trick was completed nearly 10 minutes later after Lexi Missimo drew the Rice goalkeeper towards the near post, before finding Byars in the middle of the 6-yard box for a chip in.

FROM HEAD COACH ANGELA KELLY

"I don't get sick of saying it, but (Trinity) is very special and in combination with Lexi (Missimo), her and Lexi are a special combination: five goals and two assists among the two of them today was remarkable. Trin tried to give Lexi more and Lexi tried to give Trin more, which is something that's just been their whole lives. I said it in the press conference at the beginning of the season, I'm just grateful I'm not the coaches who are organizing (defenses) to play against them, especially when they do such a good job of inviting in the rest of the players to make a four-or-five-player combination."

FROM JUNIOR TRINITY BYARS

"(Rice) played with a really high (back)line, so it was really easy for our midfielders — Jilly (Shimkin) and Lexi (Missimo) — to get the ball in behind. And they do it the best, so they were just putting me in great positions to score."

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