No. 21 Texas defeats LSU 3-0 in SEC Championship quarterfinals, Holly Ward, Amalia Villarreal both on scoresheet

Third-seeded Texas soccer faced 11th-seeded LSU in the quarterfinals of the SEC championships Tuesday, defeating the Tigers 3-0.

Heading into the game, LSU had previously played Auburn in the first round Sunday while Texas had a nine-day rest due to their first round bye. Despite the difference in rest times for both teams, LSU was able to keep the Longhorns quiet in the first half.

LSU junior defender Jazmin Ferguson denied Texas multiple chances, including a sliding tackle to block senior forward Holly Ward's shot. Ferguson also led the charge to challenge forward Amalia Villarreal, who was recently awarded SEC Freshman of the Year. Often Ferguson would double-team Villarreal with junior defender Jocelyn Ollivierre.

Ferguson's efforts on the backline kept the Longhorns off the scoreboard, despite the Texas offense producing nine shots. While the Tigers had seven shots of their own, the first half ended a scoreless affair.

The deadlock was almost broken immediately into the second half when LSU's sophomore forward Ava Galligan headed the ball into the net, only to be stopped off the line by goalkeeper Mia Justus and midfielder Ashlyn Miller. The referee took a second look at the seniors' efforts and confirmed that the entirety of the ball did not cross the line.

After this moment, LSU took a more offensive approach to the game. Tiger's junior midfielder Ida Hermannsdottir and sophomore midfielder Gabbi Ceballos got more involved in the offensive end of the field. Ceballos had previously scored in the game prior, helping secure LSU's spot in the quarterfinals. However, this approach only left more space for the Longhorns, specifically in the midfield where they outnumbered LSU with one extra midfielder.

This open space left Villarreal in a one-versus-one in the 54th minute where she shimmied her way past a defender, and immediately whipped the ball to the far post. Not even two minutes later, senior midfielder Lexi Missimo was able to play a through ball that split the LSU defense and found Ward in a one-versus-one against junior goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian. Ward was able to get the ball past her and gifted the Longhorns a 2-0 lead.

A 2-0 lead with roughly 30 minutes to go dictated the rest of the game. While LSU was chasing the game and looking for any opportunity back, Texas remained calm and kept possession as much as possible. Lined up together and in front of the defense, sophomore midfielder Arianna Brothers and Miller protected the backline while distributing the ball out wide.

This eventually led to Texas' third goal when Villarreal received the ball on the wings and played a ball down the line for Ward, who was making a diagonal run from a central position. Upon receiving the ball, she was able to round the defender and dribble it into the box where she unleashed a shot that went through Kevorkian's legs. Texas was now winning 3-0 with five minutes left and ended the game on that high note.

Texas will return to Pensacola to take on the No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC Championship semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT. The last time the two played, Arkansas came out victorious in a 4-3 thriller in Austin.