No. 16 Texas Tech Battles Back To Draw Arizona, 2-2

Friday, August 26

Lubbock, Texas

7:00 P.M.

Texas Tech Athletics

2-0-1

Arizona

1-1-1

OT 1

OT 2

Arizona

Texas Tech

No. 16 Texas Tech Battles Back To Draw Arizona, 2-2

August 27, 2016 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Jade King and Rebekah O’Brien each find the back of the net in Friday’s contest.

Box Score

LUBBOCK, Texas - The No. 16 Texas Tech soccer team posted a 2-2 draw with Arizona on Friday night, coming from behind twice with the help of 1,328 of the Lubbock faithful at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

The Red Raiders moved to 2-0-1 with the result, as the Wildcats now sit at 1-1-1 in 2016.

Freshman forward Jade King tallied her second goal of the season in the 65^th minute, knotting the score at one. Trailing late in the match, junior defender Rebekah O'Brien went top shelf and buried the equalizer in the 89^th minute for her first tally of the year.

"I've been waiting for three weeks to see what we were going to do in an environment like this and after 45 minutes, I was pretty concerned," head coach Tom Stone said. "But, after the next 45 plus overtime, there was a lot of excitement. We were able to see who's ready for this and see how they responded to being down.

"They didn't want to let the big crowd down. They were awesome tonight. This was a classic Friday night at John Walker Soccer Complex and our fans got to see one of the best teams in the PAC-12 last year that also made the sweet 16 a few years ago. They're legit and we stared them down. We would've loved to get the victory, but given the fact that we had to come back twice, we're not completely disappointed about the draw."

It marks back-to-back meetings and third overall time that the two programs have ended the match in a draw. The first was a scoreless bout in 2011, while last year's contest went finished 1-1.

The opening half saw 10 shots by the Wildcats, with senior goalkeeper Lauren Watson tallying six saves, who would finish the night with nine. However, miscommunication in the 28^th minute by Watson and a defender in front of her resulted in the first goal of the night for Arizona. It was the first time the Red Raiders had trailed in a game in 2016 and would be the only score of the first frame.

In the second half, a flurry of fouls set up a free kick for O'Brien, who sent it to the middle of the box, where the ball found King, who was able to send it past the goalkeeper in the 65^th minute to knot it up at one. It marked back-to-back games she's scored a goal for the Red Raider offense.

Eleven minutes later, the Wildcats would earn it back, after a header from Jade Degracie-Bailey deflected back to Cali Crisler and found its way past Watson and in the goal.

With time running out, O'Brien served up a beauty that floated just over the tip of the keeper's outstretched hands top shelf in the far corner of the net in the 89^th minute, ensuring there would be overtime. It was her first goal of her Red Raider career.

"It's a pure ball-striker's goal," Stone said about O'Brien's tally. "It's on the rise all the way until it hits the net. Once it hits the keeper, if there's geography left, it's going to hit the back of the net, and she just drove it to the far post. It was a great strike."

After two 10 minute overtime periods and two scoring opportunities for Tech in the final frame, time expired, completing the first draw for the Red Raiders since Oct. 18, 2015.

Texas Tech returns to the field for game four of the seven-match homestand on Sunday, Aug. 28, squaring off with Northeastern (1-1-1) at 7 p.m. at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

O'Brien's equalizer in the 89' ignited the Red Raider faithful at John Walker Soccer Complex tonight! #WreckEm https://t.co/bsJLxgrGsa
— Texas Tech Soccer (@TexasTechSoccer) August 27, 2016