Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Begins Road Trip in El Paso
August 26, 2009 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 26, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech looks to begin its six-match road trip with a strong start at 6 p.m. Friday night against Utah State in its first of two matches at University Field in El Paso, Texas. The Red Raiders close the weekend against host UTEP at 1 p.m. Sunday.
TECH STARTING THE SEASON
The Red Raiders look to start their season 3-0 for the first time since 1996 this weekend. Tech started its 2002 and 2006 seasons with two wins before falling in its third match.
THE UTAH STATE SERIES
The two schools have never previously met.
TECH VERSUS THE WAC
The Red Raiders are 2-3 all-time against members of the Western Athletic Conference with all five of those matches coming against TCU, who is now in the Mountain West Conference.
SCOUTING UTAH STATE
Utah State enters Friday's match after a 2-0 season-opening victory over Northern Colorado last weekend at home. Shantel Flanary and Summer Tillotson netted both goals, while goalkeeper Molli Merrill collected four saves in the shutout.
The Aggies claimed their first WAC regular season title last season, finishing 13-8-1 before falling in the championship match of the conference tournament. Reigning WAC Coach of the Year Heather Cairns returns 12 letterwinners, including seven starters from last season's squad. Cairns is 57-54-10 in her six seasons at Utah State.
THE UTEP SERIES
Tech will be looking to snap a five-match losing streak to UTEP as the Red Raiders are 5-5-0 all-time against the Miners. Tech is 2-3 all-time in El Paso and has not won at UTEP's University Field since 1999.
TECH AGAINST CONFERENCE USA
The Red Raiders are a combined 6-19-1 all-time against members of Conference USA. Tech has only played a Conference USA school once under head coach Tom Stone, a 0-0 tie against SMU in 2007.
SCOUTING UTEP
The Miners opened its season last weekend with a 1-0 overtime victory over rival New Mexico State, who was playing its first match in program history. Freshman Tameka Sumter headed the game-winner in the 95th minute off a pass from Tess Hall. Sumter, UTEP's top goal scorer a year ago, and Chelsea Winbush are the only two Miners returning who scored over 10 points last season.
UTEP returns 14 letterwinners, including nine starters, from its 2008 squad that finished 13-7-1 overall and fourth in Conference USA. Kevin Cross is in his ninth season with the Miners, amassing 105 victories over that time.
UTEP DRAWS RECORD CROWD
In last week's victory over New Mexico State, the Miners drew a school-record 1,610 fans to University Field, breaking the previous mark of 1,426 from the 2008 match against Baylor. UTEP has led Conference USA in attendance the last three seasons.
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND
The Red Raiders opened the regular season with a 5-0 victory over UTSA last weekend as five different players netted goals in the win. Dawn Ward and Sarah Ellison both connected on their first career goals, while Karen De Leon netted her first goal since the 2007 season. Brittney Harrison and Maegan Wilber also added goals in the win as Tech won its second-consecutive season opener under head coach Tom Stone.
HARRISON MOVING UP SEVERAL CAREER LISTS
Brittney Harrison is already among the top Tech players all-time, but the senior keeps moving up several career charts. With last weekend's goal, Harrison moved into sole possession of fourth on the career points list with 48, while her 20 goals remains fourth in program history.
GOALKEEPER SITUATION STILL UNSETTLED
Through the preseason and the season opener, head coach Tom Stone has yet to name a starting goalkeeper between junior Colleen Pitts and freshman Erin Wikelius. In Tech's exhibition match against West Texas A&M and its season opener against UTSA, both goalkeepers split time with Pitts playing the first half and Wikelius starting the second period.
LYTLE, DE LEON RETURN CLOSE TO HOME
Taylor Lytle and Karen De Leon should get the support of family and friends this weekend as their hometown of Las Cruces, N.M., is around 45 minutes from El Paso. Both players entered the Tech program in 2007 as De Leon graduated from Mayfield High School, while Lytle came from Las Cruces High.
TECH LIGHTS UP SCOREBOARD IN OPENER
The Red Raiders' 5-0 victory over UTSA marked the third time in Tom Stone's tenure the Red Raiders scored at least five goals. Tech had never previously had all five goals come from five different players, however.
NEW FACES SEE PLENTY OF ACTION
Tom Stone has never been reluctant to use younger players to win a match, which was proven against UTSA as the third-year head coach had up to eight freshman on the field at certain points in the match. Tech has 10 freshman on its roster, including redshirt freshman Dawn Ward.
HITTING THE ROAD
Tech begins a six-match road trip this weekend that will keep the Red Raiders away from the John Walker Soccer Complex until their Sept. 18 match against Alabama as part of the Red Raider Classic. Tech travels to the Dallas Metroplex to face both TCU and North Texas next weekend, and then goes the following weekend to Auburn, Ala., to square-off against SEC foes Vanderbilt and Auburn.
LYTLE MOVING UP ASSIST CHART
Not many players can boast they are already on any of the school's career milestone lists after only one season - except for sophomore Taylor Lytle. In last weekend's win over UTSA, Lytle found Dawn Ward for Tech's second goal, giving the sophomore her ninth career assist, which moved her into a tie for sixth overall on the school's all-time chart. Lytle concluded a stellar freshman season last year with eight assists, the third-highest total for a single season in school history.
WARD, DE LEON PROVIDE STRONG RETURNS
Against UTSA, Dawn Ward and Karen De Leon both provided sparks the Red Raiders could have used during the 2008 campaign as both netted goals in the win. Ward saw her first career collegiate action after missing last year with a knee injury, while De Leon redshirted in 2008 after a preseason leg injury.
DOZIER PROVIDES MINUTES ON BACK LINE
With sophomore Casey McCall out of the UTSA match, the Red Raiders received a spark from freshman Jaclyn Dozier, who was the only player to play all 90 minutes in the match.
