Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Announces 2011 Soccer Schedule
June 15, 2011 | Women's Soccer
The Red Raiders will play 11 home games at the John Walker Soccer Complex in 2011.
June 15, 2011
2011 Texas Tech Soccer Schedule 
LUBBOCK, Texas - Eleven home matches are slated for the 2011 Texas Tech soccer season, including the Red Raider Classic, while trips to Florida and Arizona also highlight the schedule that features seven teams that competed in the NCAA Championship last year.
"This is certainly an aggressive schedule, but one that will reward us for a good season," said head coach Tom Stone. "Our upperclassmen are in key positions on the field for the first time in my five years here, and I believe they will respond well to the challenge."
Winners of 11 games in 2010 and coming off their best season in 14 years, the Red Raiders will play a scrimmage at New Mexico on Aug. 20 before opening the season with four-straight home matches starting with the season opener against Rice on Aug. 19. The other three home matches during that stretch include New Mexico State (Aug. 21), Ole Miss (Aug. 26) and St. Mary's (Aug. 28).
Tech will hit the road for a game at Florida (Sept. 2), the 10-time SEC champions and perennial NCAA Championship team are expected to be ranked in the top five when the Red Raiders arrive in Gainesville. Tech then returns to Lubbock to host the annual Red Raider Classic. The tournament will bring TCU, Toledo and Hofstra to the John Walker Soccer Complex. Tech will face Hofstra (Sept. 9) and Toledo (Sept. 11) in the classic. Hofstra also qualified for the NCAA Championship in 2010.
Next up will be two road games in Tucson, Ariz., against Arizona State (Sept. 16) and Arizona (Sept. 18). The Sun Devils will be the third team Tech faces that played in the 2010 NCAA Championship and they are expected to be a top 10 team in 2011 as well.
The Red Raiders then open Big 12 play with a home game against Missouri (Sept. 23). Tech follows up with a home game against Northern Arizona (Sept. 25).
Big 12 play resumes with two road games at Baylor (Sept. 30) and at Oklahoma (Oct. 2) before hosting defending Big 12 champions Texas A&M (Oct. 7). The Sooners and the Aggies both qualified for postseason play along with Texas and Oklahoma State.
In its last non-conference game of 2011, Tech travels to Fort Worth to face TCU (Oct. 9). The Red Raiders shut out the Horned Frogs, 3-0, in the season opener in Lubbock last year. It marked the first of five-straight shutouts for Tech and was one of nine on the year.
The home portion of the schedule will wrap-up with matches against Kansas (Oct. 14) and Texas (Oct. 16) followed by the last two games of the regular season at Iowa State (Oct. 21) and at Oklahoma State (Oct. 27). The OSU contest will be played on a Thursday night and will be featured on national television as the FOX Soccer Channel "Game of the Week". The Cowgirls won the Big 12 Conference tourney in 2010 after finishing second in the regular-season race.
"The Big 12 schedule speaks for itself - easily one of the toughest in the country," Stone stated. "We've added two top 10 teams to the mix to go with some in-state and regional games that will test our mettle as well. There is plenty of opportunity in 2011 to show what we are capable of."
The top eight schools in the conference standings will advance to the Big 12 Championship Nov. 2-6 at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, with the winner receiving an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The NCAA Championship begins with first and second rounds Nov. 11-13 with the NCAA College Cup held Dec. 2-4 in Kennesaw, Ga.
