No. 14 Tech Heads to Morgantown for Road Test

LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 14 Texas Tech heads to Morgantown for a Thursday night showdown with West Virginia in a weekend full of potentially Big 12 title-deciding matches. The Red Raiders, who are unbeaten since August, will look to pick up their first program win in Morgantown.

Tech is coming off an exciting road win at Iowa State, where redshirt freshman Sierra Jones secured three critical points for the team with a golden goal in the 108^th minute. The win took the Red Raiders to No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches poll – their highest ranking since 2014 – and made them the first in the Big 12 to hit double-digit wins.

Presenting an obstacle to Tech's continued ascension in the conference standings – in which they currently sit tied for second with seven points – are tough West Virginia and Kansas teams. Thursday's test in the Rocky Mountains will take place at Dick Dlesk Stadium, a notoriously hard place for road teams to pick up points. In four meetings, Tech has only secured one point – a hard-fought draw in 2017. The Red Raiders' two wins over the Mountaineers have either come at home (2013) or at the Big 12 Championship (2015 en route to Tech's first-ever conference title).

West Virginia is off to a fine start this season, sitting 7-4-1. Head coach Tom Stone insists the Mountaineers, despite being young, are growing into the tough WVU team the conference is used to .

"They're a team that's a bit in transition and is growing," he said. "The consistent threads that they've always had are running through this team, but they're trying to find their feet a little – like we all are. Their coach knows what she's doing, though, and she doesn't have that many trophies for nothing."

The Jayhawks will present another challenge, looking to avenge last year's senior day loss at the hands of the Red Raiders. Tech downed Kansas, 2-1, in overtime on a free-kick header from Cassie Hiatt. Despite the Red Raiders owning a 7-1-1 record since 2010 against the visitors from Lawrence, the 1 p.m. contest will be an exciting slugfest between two technical teams looking to grind out Sunday points.

"They play a very sophisticated possession style," Stone said. "Last year we were fortunate to get three points from them in that frozen tundra of Lawrence in the rain. If it's nice and calm here Sunday, it could be a great soccer game. This game could mean a lot to both programs."

Thursday's 6 p.m. game will be streamed on MountaineerTV here, while Sunday's 1 p.m. contest in Lubbock will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Southwest, here. The Kansas game will be Military Appreciation Day, and anyone presenting a military I.D. will receive free admission. Tickets may be purchased here.

No. 14 Tech Heads to Morgantown for Road Test

Players Mentioned

Cassie Hiatt

Sierra Jones

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