No. 25 Texas Tech heads to Manhattan, for Thursday clash with Kansas State
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Winners of five of six and unbeaten in their last six, No. 25 Texas Tech Soccer continues a three-match road swing on Thursday night when they head to Manhattan for the first match against Kansas State since 2022.
Riding a 20-match Big 12 unbeaten streak (longest conference unbeaten streak amongst power conference teams) and an 11-match road unbeaten streak in conference play, Texas Tech made its return to the United Soccer Coaches poll at No. 25 overall.
The Red Raiders had their strongest week of the season last week, as they defeated both Utah and No. 12 Oklahoma, 2-0. The 2-0 win over OSU was the highest-ranked road win since 2014 when Tech downed then-ranked No. 9 Kansas on the road.
After last week’s 2-0 performance, a pair of players earned weekly recognition from the Big 12, as defender Macy Blackburn (Defender of the Week) and goalkeeper Faith Nguyen (Goalkeeper of the Week).
Tech enters the week as the only Big 12 team that hasn’t conceded a goal this season, as Tech has outscored its three opponents, 4-0.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: No. 25 Texas Tech (7-2-1, 2-0-1 Big 12) at Kansas State (3-6-1, 0-3-0 Big 12)
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 2024
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Manhattan, Kan. (Buser Family Park)
QUICK KICKS:
- Riding high after the highest-ranked road win (at No. 12 OSU) since 2014 (at No. 9 Kansas) on Sunday, the Red Raiders will look to ride the momentum into Thursday’s 7 p.m. contest at Kansas State in the first matchup between the two schools since the 2022 season.
- Winners of back to back and unbeaten in their last six matches (5-0-1), Tech returned to the top-25 this week, checking in at No. 25.
- The Red Raiders enter the match riding a 20-match (16-0-4) unbeaten streak in Big 12 Conference play, as well as an 11-match road unbeaten streak (7-0-4) after the win at OSU.
- The Red Raiders last overall Big 12 loss came Sept. 25, 2022 against Texas, while the last regular season road Big 12 loss came on Oct. 17, 2021.
- Fresh off the perfect 2-0 week where Tech earned a pair of 2-0 wins over Utah and Oklahoma State, a pair of Red Raiders earned Big 12 weekly honors, as defender Macy Blackburn took home Defensive Player of the Week, while keeper Faith Nguyen won Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week.
- The honor is the first for Nguyen this season while Blackburn’s honor is the second of her career.
- Nguyen won goalkeeper of the week after recording her fourth and fifth clean sheets of the season, while Blackburn recorded her 28th career assist to past Taylor Lytle for the program record.
- With Sunday’s win, the Red Raiders are now 17-0-4 in Blackburn’s last 21 starts and are 23-0-0 when Ashleigh Williams scores.
- Boasting one of the best offenses in the country, the Red Raiders enter the week inside the top-20 in seven different offensive categories including total shutouts (4th), assists-per-game (9th), total points (10th), shutout percentage (11th), goal differential (14th), scoring offense (16th) and total goals (18th).
- After allowing six goals in the first four matches of the season, the Red Raider defense has turned it up as of late, as the Red Raiders ahve allowed just one goal of the last six matches.
- In Big 12 play, the Red Raiders are the only school in the Big 12 to not have conceded a goal so far this season.
- The Red Raiders last Big 12 goal conceded in regular season play came last Oct. 12, at UCF. The Red Raiders have not allowed a goal in the last 291 total minutes of action.
LAST TIME OUT:
A Kaitlyn Giametta goal with just seven minutes to go before halftime, and a patented ‘Ash Smash’ from Ashleigh Williams, powered Texas Tech Soccer to a 2-0 win over No. 12 Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon at Neal Patterson Stadium.
In what started as physical defensive battle quickly opened up 40 seconds into the 38th minute when a beautiful 1-2 play from Skylar Haase and Taylor Zdrojewski resulted in a sliding strike from Giametta.
Armed with a 1-0 lead, Texas Tech (7-2-1, 2-0-1 Big 12) quickly doubled its lead 18 minutes into the second half, when Williams one-timed a perfect cross from Giametta for her second goal of the season. The strike was made possible by a beautiful run and pass from Macy Blackburn who recorded her program-record 28th all-time assist.
With the victory the Red Raiders extend their Power Four leading unbeaten streak to 20 consecutive matches (15-0-5) and extend their road Big 12 unbeaten streak to 11 (7-0-4) straight matches, a streak that dates back to the 2021 season.
The victory over No. 12 Oklahoma State (8-2-1, 1-2-0 Big 12) marks the second straight year that the Red Raiders have defeated a top 15 team on the road (2-1 @ No. 14 Texas), while today’s win over the Cowgirls is also the highest ranked road win for the Red Raiders since 2014 when Tech beat No. 9 KU (Oct. 17, 2014) 1-0 in Lawrence.
In the victory, goalkeeper Faith Nguyen was strong once again, recording a pair of saves to close out her third straight Big 12 clean sheet and fifth of the season.
With today’s clean sheet, the Red Raiders have allowed just three goals over the last nine games and just one goal over the least six games.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders close out a three-match road swing on Sunday afternoon at Houston. First touch from Houston is set for 1 p.m.
–TECH–
Release Provided By Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics