Texas Tech University Athletics
Saturday, September 1
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
7:00 P.M.
Texas Tech Athletics
at
Boston College
Soccer to Face Boston College Saturday
August 30, 2018 | Women's Soccer
The Red Raiders will play the unbeaten Eagles on the road for their lone match of week three.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Week three will feature a battle of the unbeaten when No. 21 Texas Tech travels east to play Boston College. Both teams sit atop their respective conferences with perfect records; the Red Raiders are 4-0 after sweeping week two while the Eagles are 5-0 following a Wednesday night win over Stony Brook. It will be Tech's first match since earning a national ranking of 21st by the United Soccer Coaches following their perfect start to the 2018 season.
Head coach Tom Stone is ready for his matchup with Boston College, which will be the first ACC program he has faced since taking on No. 7 Florida State in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
"They're going to be tested and weathered, and they're not going to be bothered by a lot," said Stone. "I think they're going to be very comfortable no matter what the score is and no matter what the time is. That's what you get from a team that plays those [ACC] teams year in and year out. We have to be at our best to be competitive, and we're excited to get up there."
Widely regarded as one of the best conferences in women's soccer, seven of the ACC's 14 schools are currently unbeaten, and the conference as a whole has outscored opponents 108-41 through 55 matches. The Big 12, though, is also off to a strong start. The Big 12's 10 programs have outscored opponents 67-25 through 37 matches. Texas Tech joins five other conference teams that have yet to lose a match.
Through the first two weeks of the new campaign, the Red Raiders have spread the wealth on offense, with their six goals being shared by four players. Jade King, who was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team in 2016, has shown she is still one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the conference after battling injury last season by tallying a goal in each of the team's first three matches. The junior finds herself tied for second in the Big 12 in goals and points.
"When she's on the field, she's explosive, and the back line should be worried about her," assistant coach Gibbs Keeton said of the forward last week. "If I'm coaching against Jade King, she's a player I'm talking about. I'm worried about what she can do, where the ball is going to go and where she's going to go."
Junior transfer Jayne Lydiatt has been a facilitator on the attack, dishing out the game-winning assist in each of Tech's matches last weekend. In Friday's road win at San Diego State, Lydiatt, who is now tied for second in the Big 12 in assists, found Kirsten Davis for the game-winner. With 15 shots – eight of which have been on goal – Davis leads the conference in both categories.
Though a single game on a Saturday goes against the typical routine of a two-match weekend, Stone sees it as a chance for extra recovery time before next weekend's home stand.
"When you look at the rhythm of the schedule, this just looked perfect," said Stone. "They only wanted one game on the weekend and we only wanted one game on the weekend, so we said let's play on Saturday so we can both be rested."
Stone expressed excitement for the opportunity to head east and play a new opponent: "It's supposed to be 70 degrees on Saturday and it's a gorgeous part of the country. We have a big challenge ahead of us, and we recognize that, but we're excited about it. This team loves new challenges."
First touch for the matchup between the Eagles and Red Raiders is set for 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available here.
Head coach Tom Stone is ready for his matchup with Boston College, which will be the first ACC program he has faced since taking on No. 7 Florida State in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
"They're going to be tested and weathered, and they're not going to be bothered by a lot," said Stone. "I think they're going to be very comfortable no matter what the score is and no matter what the time is. That's what you get from a team that plays those [ACC] teams year in and year out. We have to be at our best to be competitive, and we're excited to get up there."
Widely regarded as one of the best conferences in women's soccer, seven of the ACC's 14 schools are currently unbeaten, and the conference as a whole has outscored opponents 108-41 through 55 matches. The Big 12, though, is also off to a strong start. The Big 12's 10 programs have outscored opponents 67-25 through 37 matches. Texas Tech joins five other conference teams that have yet to lose a match.
Through the first two weeks of the new campaign, the Red Raiders have spread the wealth on offense, with their six goals being shared by four players. Jade King, who was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team in 2016, has shown she is still one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the conference after battling injury last season by tallying a goal in each of the team's first three matches. The junior finds herself tied for second in the Big 12 in goals and points.
"When she's on the field, she's explosive, and the back line should be worried about her," assistant coach Gibbs Keeton said of the forward last week. "If I'm coaching against Jade King, she's a player I'm talking about. I'm worried about what she can do, where the ball is going to go and where she's going to go."
Junior transfer Jayne Lydiatt has been a facilitator on the attack, dishing out the game-winning assist in each of Tech's matches last weekend. In Friday's road win at San Diego State, Lydiatt, who is now tied for second in the Big 12 in assists, found Kirsten Davis for the game-winner. With 15 shots – eight of which have been on goal – Davis leads the conference in both categories.
Though a single game on a Saturday goes against the typical routine of a two-match weekend, Stone sees it as a chance for extra recovery time before next weekend's home stand.
"When you look at the rhythm of the schedule, this just looked perfect," said Stone. "They only wanted one game on the weekend and we only wanted one game on the weekend, so we said let's play on Saturday so we can both be rested."
Stone expressed excitement for the opportunity to head east and play a new opponent: "It's supposed to be 70 degrees on Saturday and it's a gorgeous part of the country. We have a big challenge ahead of us, and we recognize that, but we're excited about it. This team loves new challenges."
First touch for the matchup between the Eagles and Red Raiders is set for 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available here.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
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