Texas Tech Downs Utah 2-0; Extends P4-Leading Conference Unbeaten Streak to 19

LUBBOCK, Texas – Riding an 18-match conference unbeaten streak and a 17-match home winning streak, Texas Tech Soccer downed new Big 12 foe Utah, 2-0, Thursday night at the John Walker Soccer Complex to extend both streaks and earn the first Big 12 victory of the season.

Seeking their first Big 12 win of the season after the scoreless draw at TCU last week, Texas Tech (6-2-1, 1-0-1 Big 12) got a pair of goals just two minutes and 32 seconds apart to close out the key victory.

As she has all season, goalkeeper Faith Nguyen was solid for the Red Raiders, as the keeper made three saves to earn her fourth victory of the season.

By virtue of tonight’s 2-0 win, the Red Raiders now improve to a perfect 6-0-0 at Walker this season and have outscored opponents 25-1 at Walker this season.

The Red Raiders by winning tonight extended their unbeaten Big 12 streak to 19 (14-0-5). The Red Raiders now have the fifth-longest conference unbeaten streak in the country (Brown – 29; Xavier – 28; Georgetown – 20 ; St. Louis – 20) and the longest Power-Four (ACC, Big 10, Big 12 and SEC) unbeaten conference streak in the country.

Despite dominating play early and enjoying a 6-2 shot count early, the Red Raiders and Utes (4-3-2, 1-1-0 Big 12) went to halftime in a scoreless tie.

The Red Raiders best chance to score in the first half came in the 28th minute when a perfect free kick service from Macy Blackburn skidded toward the Utes goal. After a deflection off a Utah defender fell right to Cassie Taylor, the center-back lifted a shot that went over the Utes goal.

Right before the end of the first half, Haase ripped a shot on goal, but Utah’s Kasey Wardle saved it. The chance by Haase was the final of the first half. Wardle made five saves in the match.

In the 48th minute, Blackburn ripped another strong free kick service that narrowly missed the top of the goal and sailed high.

After a header from Utah’s leading scorer Taliana Kaufusi clanged off the post and was saved by Nguyen, the Red Raiders nearly scored the first goal of the night on a pair of shots from Kate Leibel and Haase just nine seconds into the 62nd minute and 47 seconds into the 62nd minute.

Knocking on the door all night, Haase finally kicked the door down in the 70th minute when she ripped a right-footed shot from 25-yards out that sailed into the top-left corner of the net and past Wardle.

With the key first goal on the board, the Red Raiders quickly doubled their lead midway through the 73rd minute when sophomore Chloe Soto took a perfect pass from Kaitlyn Giametta and ripped a shot that Wardle was able to get a piece of.

Despite the goalkeeper making the initial save, Soto did not abandon the play, as she headed home the rebound for the key second goal of the night.

Armed with a 2-0 lead, the Red Raiders salted away the final 17 minutes of play, to close out the victory.

Based on the results from Thursday’s action, the Red Raiders end the night in a tie with TCU for third place in the Big 12 standings. No. 21 Colorado who defeated No. 12 OSU on Thursday (2-1) and West Virginia (2-0 winners vs. K-State) sit tied atop the Big 12 standings with six total points.

HEAD COACH TOM STONE: 
“The momentum didn’t just change all of a sudden. It just kept building the whole game. I was proud of our team for staying in it. We didn’t get irrational or uptight that we hadn’t scored yet. We felt like we were the team on the front foot, but we did a good job of not losing our cool or our composure.  Ultimately maybe we just wore them down a bit, but by staying composed and staying in a rhythm, we knew that chances were going to continue to come, because 90 minutes is a long time. Fortunately for us, Skylar hit the bomb, and the second goal was awesome as well with, Bug [Giametta] hitting an incredible serve. Chloe hit it off the goalkeeper and was able to finish it when it came right back to her. We were so happy for those guys. It was one of those games where we stayed in it the whole time. We didn’t really waiver and our level didn’t go up and down and stayed high. That’s hard to deal with it as an opposing team. I’d rather have that consistency, than a bunch of highs and a bunch of lows, because you can get beat on the low stretches. That’s what happened early in the season. We had a lot of highs, but the lows were what was killing us. Today we were very steady and we just stayed with it. We looked like a more mature team which we’re happy with. I don’t know that we are, but we played that way tonight.”

On Soto:
“Chloe is a great story. She grew up 50-feet from the University of Oklahoma’s campus, but she chose to be a Red Raider. We were so thrilled when she did, because she’s a winner, and gutsy kid from Oklahoma that has a chip on her shoulder. She has played with something to prove every game. She got her reward today by getting her first goal. She’s a holding mid. They’re supposed to be down by the defenders, but she was in the box to score the goal. The reason is, she’s our one holding-mid that is a true ‘box-to-box’ defender. She has that kind of fitness. That kind of guts. And that kind of pace. We have some great holding mids, and they do some amazing things, but Chloe is the best at going box-to-box. And her goal really clinched the game for us.”

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders begin a three-match road swing at No. 12 Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon. First touch from Stillwater is set for 1 p.m.

–TECH–

 Release Provided By Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics