Texas Tech University Athletics
One Tough Schedule
September 14, 2011 | Women's Soccer
September 14, 2011
by Britton Drown
Texas Tech Athletics Communications
It was the shortest turnaround his team faced all season.
In the midst of the Red Raider Classic last weekend, less than 48 hours separated the two matches listed on the Red Raiders' schedule. But it wasn't the lack of time they had that posed the greatest challenge on this Sunday; it was the style of loss Friday night that perhaps hurt the most.
A penalty kick late in overtime sent the Red Raiders walking off of the field with a 2-1 loss to Hofstra under their home lights at the Walker Soccer Complex.
It was just their second home loss of the season.
"We knew we had that game," junior forward Dawn Ward said.
But they had to move on.
See, these are the types of challenges head coach Tom Stone feels this team can face--and eventually conquer. It's all a part of one of the toughest slates of non-conference matches in program history.
 | "It's the toughest schedule that we have had. But we also know that we have a team that will embrace that." - Tom Stone |
"It's the toughest schedule that we have had," Stone said. "But we also know that we have a team that will embrace that."
On Sunday, the Red Raiders conquered that particular challenge, overcoming Friday's heart-breaking defeat, and shutting out Toledo 3-0 in perhaps one of their most complete matches of the season.
"It was a good rebound from an emotional night on Friday," Stone said shortly after the match. "I'm so impressed with the psychological makeup of this group."
It didn't take long for Stone to feel confident about his team before Sunday's match began. After walking into the locker room to speak to his team, he mentioned he had a feeling they would put on a performance like they did.
"That was about as business-like of a performance on a Sunday that we have had in a while," Stone said.
It's something that he had come to expect from his players. This is a team that he envisioned, has slowly built and formulated a schedule to fit it.
Taking the field in each match are five players with national-team playing experience. Alongside them are players who have experience playing on the top club teams in the state of Texas and throughout the country.
"All of us came here to play great teams and play against great players," Ward said. "A lot of us came from teams that are top-tier. It's really special and it's really fun."
In the young 2011 season, the Red Raiders have already faced two teams that made it to post-season play last year, and will face Arizona State, who also made the NCAA Tournament last season, this weekend in Tucson.
"I think the timing was right," Stone said of the schedule. "Like I have said all along, it's going to reward us or it's going to punish us. Right now, I'm really happy with our squad. I really am."
He's hoping this year it will reward his team. After narrowly missing the first NCAA Tournament in school history last year, he feels this squad is primed to punch their ticket this season.
"They came here with some experience in big games, and that is what they want." Stone said. "I think the bigger the game in many cases the more excited we are to play it."
