Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Baylor
Texas Tech Earns Battle Of The "Brand" Trophy
October 27, 2006 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 27, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech women's soccer team defeated Baylor, 2-0, in the inaugural Battle for the "Brand" match. The match concluded the 2006 season for the Red Raiders. Senior Ana Morton was honored before the match began on Friday night.
Senior defender Ana Morton played her final match as a Red Raider on Friday against Baylor. Morton ended her career at Tech recording one goal, 19 shots and 9 shots on goal. Morton has started in 58 contests for the Red Raiders and served as team captain for the 2005 and 2006 season.
The Red Raiders got their offense going 25 minutes into the match when freshman forward Brittney Harrison recorded a shot that bounced off the top bar of the goal. After Harrison's shot Texas Tech's offense dominated the Bears. Nicky Smith responded with a shot on goal in the 30th minute, but sophomore goalkeeper Tina Rincon collected a save. Sophomore forward Chessa Purser tallied her 19th shot on goal for the season with 12 minutes remaining in the first period. Freshman midfielder Zhaleh Rezaie quickly responded collecting another shot on goal for the Red Raiders with 11 minutes left in the period. The clock would run out before Texas Tech could collect a goal. The match was sent into halftime scoreless.
Texas Tech came out in the second half and quickly gained the lead. Purser collected her seventh goal of the season at the 48:32 mark. Purser headed the ball in after a double assist from Sarah Greer and Brittney Harrison. Rezaie took a penalty kick for the Red Raiders at the 77:07 mark and was able to kick the ball past Baylor's goalkeeper Ashley Holder. Texas Tech had the 2-0 advantage. Baylor could not get its offense going in the second period. The Red Raiders out shot the Bears 13-5 and Tech collected 7 of the 9 corner kicks in the second half.
Texas Tech received the Battle for the "Brand" trophy after the victory over Baylor. It was the inaugural match for the new Texas Tech/Baylor tradition. Texas Tech head coach Neil McGuire and Baylor head coach George Van Linder hope that the new tradition will create a special meaning to the match between the Red Raiders and Bears each season.
"I am thrilled for the players," said head coach Neil McGuire. "To see them end their season on a high like this is great. I felt like we were the better team over the course of the 90 minutes, and actually could have scored several more goals. To see Senior Ana Morton lift the Battle for the "Brand" trophy over her head was very special. She has been a great servant to this program and deserved to go out with this victory."
The Red Raiders concluded their season 7-11-2 overall and 2-7-1 in conference. Texas Tech finishes the season ranked No. 9 in the Big 12 Conference. The women's soccer team played their final match at R.P. Fuller Stadium. The new soccer facility is in progress and is expected to be built before the 2007 season kicks-off. Baylor falls to 6-11-1 overall and 3-7 in Big 12.
"This win takes us to 9th in the conference, only half a game out from reaching the Big 12 tournament," said McGuire. "This will be all the motivation we need to continue to improve. There is a bright future ahead for Texas Tech soccer and I am proud to be part of it."
