Texas Tech University Athletics
Watson Highlights Four Selections To All-Big 12 Teams
October 31, 2016 | Women's Soccer
Four student-athletes from the Texas Tech soccer team were named to the 2016 All-Big 12 teams, the league announced today.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Four student-athletes from the Texas Tech soccer team were named to the 2016 All-Big 12 teams, the league announced today.
Senior goalkeeper Lauren Watson was named to the all-conference first team, sophomore midfielder Gwennie Puente picked up second team honors, while Jordie Harr & Jade King were selected to the All-Freshman team. Both Harr & King were unanimously voted on by the Big 12 coaches.
Tech's four honorees are the most since the Red Raiders had five selected to the three squads in 2014. Watson is the first Red Raider keeper to pick up first team honors since Victoria Esson in 2013. That year, Tech also placed two to the newcomer squad, as this year's two are tied with Kansas for the most freshmen selected to the 2016 team.
Watson, a native of The Woodlands, has put together another stellar season in net for the Red Raiders, playing in every minute of every contest in 2016. In 18 matches, Watson has racked up 77 saves, averaging 4.28 per match. On three separate occasions, including back-to-back weeks, she recorded the season high for a conference goalkeeper for saves in a single match, wrapping up nine against Arizona (Aug. 26), followed by eight at No. 1 West Virginia (Oct. 14) and nine at Texas (Oct. 21). Her six shutouts this season have moved her to No. 2 all-time at Texas Tech with 25.5, which is just 3.5 from the school record holder. She also ranks fourth in school history in career saves with 245, which is 21 off the third-place mark.
Puente, from Fort Worth, appeared in all 18 matches for the Red Raiders, starting in all but one contest. She's netted two goals on 15 shots, five on goal, while also recording an assist for five points this season. Her first goal of the year came against Abilene Christian in the 47th minute after she slotted a shot to the left side of the frame. Her second tally was a beauty, as she took the ball coast-to-coast at Appalachian State and fired a strike past the challenging keeper for the first goal of the match. She's logged 55+ minutes in all but two matches this season for the Red Raiders.
King, a northerner from Apple Valley, Minnesota, leads the team in goals and points with six and 13, respectively. Starting in all 18 matches for Tech, King has stayed in the two top in the league in shots (72) and shots per match (72) all season, leading through non-conference play, while also staying within the top 35 nationally in the category. Her first goal of the season came in a 1-0 victory over Missouri State and then followed it up with another tally the next match in the 2-2 tie with Arizona. After a score in the match against Abilene Christian, King turned in her first multi-goal performance of her collegiate career in the 3-0 rout over Iowa State, netting two impressive strikes. With Tech needing a win to extend its season, King answered the call, burying a shot in double overtime against Oklahoma in the 104th minute for her third game-winning goal of the season. The marker helped earn her second weekly conference award of the year, picking up Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 and Freshman of the Week on Oct. 31.
Harr, from Sachse, Texas, ran into a season-shortening injury during the stretch play of the Big 12 slate; however, she made her return to the lineup on Oct. 28, helping re-ignite the Texas Tech offense to a 1-0 win over OU. Starting in all 11 matches before her injury, she opened the 2016 campaign with the first multi-goal match of the year, helping Tech to a 2-1 victory over New Mexico on Aug. 19. Her two scores on three shots in that contest helped earn her Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Aug. 23, making her the first Red Raider to do so since 2014. She's also added three assists this season in matches against Northeastern, Abilene Christian and Iowa State.
The Red Raiders begin the 2016 Big 12 Soccer Championship on Wednesday against top-seeded West Virginia at 11:30 a.m. from Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City.
Senior goalkeeper Lauren Watson was named to the all-conference first team, sophomore midfielder Gwennie Puente picked up second team honors, while Jordie Harr & Jade King were selected to the All-Freshman team. Both Harr & King were unanimously voted on by the Big 12 coaches.
Tech's four honorees are the most since the Red Raiders had five selected to the three squads in 2014. Watson is the first Red Raider keeper to pick up first team honors since Victoria Esson in 2013. That year, Tech also placed two to the newcomer squad, as this year's two are tied with Kansas for the most freshmen selected to the 2016 team.
Watson, a native of The Woodlands, has put together another stellar season in net for the Red Raiders, playing in every minute of every contest in 2016. In 18 matches, Watson has racked up 77 saves, averaging 4.28 per match. On three separate occasions, including back-to-back weeks, she recorded the season high for a conference goalkeeper for saves in a single match, wrapping up nine against Arizona (Aug. 26), followed by eight at No. 1 West Virginia (Oct. 14) and nine at Texas (Oct. 21). Her six shutouts this season have moved her to No. 2 all-time at Texas Tech with 25.5, which is just 3.5 from the school record holder. She also ranks fourth in school history in career saves with 245, which is 21 off the third-place mark.
Puente, from Fort Worth, appeared in all 18 matches for the Red Raiders, starting in all but one contest. She's netted two goals on 15 shots, five on goal, while also recording an assist for five points this season. Her first goal of the year came against Abilene Christian in the 47th minute after she slotted a shot to the left side of the frame. Her second tally was a beauty, as she took the ball coast-to-coast at Appalachian State and fired a strike past the challenging keeper for the first goal of the match. She's logged 55+ minutes in all but two matches this season for the Red Raiders.
King, a northerner from Apple Valley, Minnesota, leads the team in goals and points with six and 13, respectively. Starting in all 18 matches for Tech, King has stayed in the two top in the league in shots (72) and shots per match (72) all season, leading through non-conference play, while also staying within the top 35 nationally in the category. Her first goal of the season came in a 1-0 victory over Missouri State and then followed it up with another tally the next match in the 2-2 tie with Arizona. After a score in the match against Abilene Christian, King turned in her first multi-goal performance of her collegiate career in the 3-0 rout over Iowa State, netting two impressive strikes. With Tech needing a win to extend its season, King answered the call, burying a shot in double overtime against Oklahoma in the 104th minute for her third game-winning goal of the season. The marker helped earn her second weekly conference award of the year, picking up Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 and Freshman of the Week on Oct. 31.
Harr, from Sachse, Texas, ran into a season-shortening injury during the stretch play of the Big 12 slate; however, she made her return to the lineup on Oct. 28, helping re-ignite the Texas Tech offense to a 1-0 win over OU. Starting in all 11 matches before her injury, she opened the 2016 campaign with the first multi-goal match of the year, helping Tech to a 2-1 victory over New Mexico on Aug. 19. Her two scores on three shots in that contest helped earn her Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Aug. 23, making her the first Red Raider to do so since 2014. She's also added three assists this season in matches against Northeastern, Abilene Christian and Iowa State.
The Red Raiders begin the 2016 Big 12 Soccer Championship on Wednesday against top-seeded West Virginia at 11:30 a.m. from Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City.
Players Mentioned
Midfield
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
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