The first goal of the Margueritte Bates era arrived before most of Mike A. Myers Stadium had settled into its seats.
Amalia Villarreal finished in the third minute — assisted by Callan Harrington — and Texas never trailed. Sadie Hoch made it 2–0 before halftime. Kennedi Cotter closed it late. The Longhorns beat Houston Christian 3–0 on Wednesday night to open 1–0–0, per the official box score.
It was Texas’ 34th season of women’s soccer and the first under Bates, hired Nov. 25, 2025 after winning an NCAA title as UCLA’s first-year head coach in 2022, per Texas Athletics. The Longhorns have now beaten HCU in all three meetings — outscoring the Huskies 10–0 all-time — including Wednesday’s shutout in front of 513.
Villarreal does not wait
Villarreal, a 5-foot-2 junior from Lansing, Mich., has been writing openers into her résumé since she arrived. She was the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year, a two-time All-SEC Second Team pick, and second on the team last season with eight goals, per Texas Athletics. She has scored at least eight times in each of her first two college seasons and comes through the U.S. Youth National Team system — including a bronze medal with the U-19s at the 2023 Pan-American Games.
On Wednesday she needed 2:32. Harrington, a fifth-year forward from Portland, Ore., via Loyola Marymount, delivered the assist. Villarreal finished with a team-high four shots (two on goal).
Texas also hit the woodwork twice in the first half — Alicia Riggins and Hoch both found the top of the frame — while outshooting HCU 19–3 and winning seven corners to none, per the box score.
Hoch finishes — with a famous soccer name behind her
Hoch’s goal at 37:00 had Audrey Bryant and Cotter on the assists: a sophomore midfielder from Newport Beach, Calif., converting after rattling the bar earlier.
Her freshman year was about trust as much as production. Hoch started all 17 matches in 2025 and logged 1,462 minutes, per Texas Athletics. The family history is public: her mother, Tisha Hoch, played for the U.S. Women’s National Team, winning Olympic gold in 1996 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999. Her father, Casey, played baseball at North Carolina. Wednesday’s finish made Sadie the second Longhorn on the scoresheet in Bates’ debut.
Cotter opens her Texas account
Cotter entered in the 30th minute, put a shot on frame before halftime, then scored unassisted at 83:35 for 3–0, per the box score.
The Bayonne, N.J., sophomore transferred from Rutgers, where she started all 16 matches as a freshman, per Texas Athletics. Off the pitch, the details are sharper than a typical transfer note: she graduated high school in three years, trained with Gotham FC’s first team, played for Paisley Athletic FC in the USL W League, and has written and illustrated a children’s book promoting girls’ baseball. She was MVP of a Cal Ripken League as the only girl in the league, per her Texas Athletics bio.
Wednesday was a substitute’s statement: assist, goal, two shots on target in 33 minutes.
Clean sheet
Senior goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn — Edina, Minn., via Montana — played all 90 for the shutout. HCU did not put a shot on goal; Flynn finished with zero saves, per the box score. Texas’ shot suppression did the quieter half of the work the scorers made loud.
The Longhorns return eight of 11 starters from 2025 and 92% of last year’s goals, the highest mark in the SEC, per the Texas Athletics preview. The Bates era opened with woodwork, shot volume, and three different goal scorers.
Anthony Rivera reported from Mike A. Myers Stadium. Stats from the official Texas Athletics box score; player background from Texas Athletics roster bios and the HCU preview.