Texas Tech University Athletics
Thursday, August 19
Lubbock, Texas
7 p.m.
Texas Tech Athletics
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UTEP
Texas Tech to Open 2021 Soccer Season Against UTEP
August 18, 2021 | Women's Soccer
Red Raiders, Miners to play for first time since 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech soccer team is set to open its 2021 fall season against UTEP at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the John Walker Soccer Complex before playing at UC San Diego on Sunday.
"We're just ready to play," said Texas Tech coach Tom Stone who is entering his 15th season leading the program. "We're looking forward to playing in front of a full house and being back together again. The energy is palpable. You can really feel it."
Tickets for the game will be $5 for adults and $3 for youth with general admission seating. The game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Texas Tech is coming off a COVID-altered season where the team finished with a 5-6-2 overall record after going 15-4-3 in 2019 with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Texas Tech forward Kirsten Davis and goalkeeper Madison White come into 2021 as Preseason All-Big 12 Soccer Team selections for the second straight season, while Davis and senior defender Cassie Hiatt have been named the team's captains. Both players were also captains last season after earning all-America honors during the 2019. The team also returns Macy Shultz who scored three goals last season, Charlotte Teeter who had two and All-Region selection Jordie Harr, while welcoming in 11 freshmen and graduate transfer Eva Hurm from Notre Dame. A senior midfielder, Harr earned All-Big 12 and All-Big 12 Tournament in 2019 to go along with her all-region honor. TTU returns 20 players and has 13 newcomers on its roster.Â
Davis enters the season with 31 career goals which puts her third all-time in program history behind only Kristy Frantz who scored 41 from 1996-99 and Janine Beckie's program-leading 57 goals from 2012-15. Davis was selected No. 13 by Racing Louisville FC on Jan. 13 in the NWSL College Draft, but elected to return for her fifth season with the Red Raiders. Davis scored 16 goals, including six game-winners, during her junior season. Â
The Miners are returning to Lubbock to play for the first time since the 2009 season with the Red Raiders owning a 6-4-0 all-time record in the series. Texas Tech won 4-3 in El Paso in the last matchup between the two programs on August 30, 2009. Â UTEP is coming off a season where it went 3-6-2 overall, including going 2-3-1 in Conference USA play.
"We know they're not a team to be taken lightly," Stone said. "It's going to be a great opener because we haven't played them in a while and there's some mystery on both sides. If we're not prepared, it could be a problem. We're worried about ourselves right now and focused on being good at what we need to be good at. We hope that it's too much for them, but if it's not, then during the game we'll have to adjust and defend like crazy because they have some kids who can score. It should be a really good one."
The Red Raiders are 17-9-1 all-time in season-openers, including going 4-0-1 in their last five after a 0-0 draw against Baylor in last season's first game. Texas Tech is 88-26-10 all-time at the Walker Soccer Complex, including earning a 4-0 win over Lamar in the 2008 season-opener in the first game played in the facility. The team comes into the 2021 season picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and is scheduled to begin conference play by hosting Oklahoma on Thursday, Sept. 23 after playing nine non-conference games.
Texas Tech will return to action this weekend with a game at UC San Diego at 1 p.m. (CST) in La Jolla, California at Triton Soccer Stadium with the game available on ESPN+. The Tritons are playing as a Division I member for the first time out of the Big West Conference and open their season on Thursday by hosting Cal. The Red Raiders will return from California to begin a four-game home stand against Hartford (Aug. 26), Abilene Christian (Aug. 29), Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 2) and UTSA (Sept. 5) at the Walker Soccer Complex.
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"We're just ready to play," said Texas Tech coach Tom Stone who is entering his 15th season leading the program. "We're looking forward to playing in front of a full house and being back together again. The energy is palpable. You can really feel it."
Tickets for the game will be $5 for adults and $3 for youth with general admission seating. The game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Texas Tech is coming off a COVID-altered season where the team finished with a 5-6-2 overall record after going 15-4-3 in 2019 with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Texas Tech forward Kirsten Davis and goalkeeper Madison White come into 2021 as Preseason All-Big 12 Soccer Team selections for the second straight season, while Davis and senior defender Cassie Hiatt have been named the team's captains. Both players were also captains last season after earning all-America honors during the 2019. The team also returns Macy Shultz who scored three goals last season, Charlotte Teeter who had two and All-Region selection Jordie Harr, while welcoming in 11 freshmen and graduate transfer Eva Hurm from Notre Dame. A senior midfielder, Harr earned All-Big 12 and All-Big 12 Tournament in 2019 to go along with her all-region honor. TTU returns 20 players and has 13 newcomers on its roster.Â
Davis enters the season with 31 career goals which puts her third all-time in program history behind only Kristy Frantz who scored 41 from 1996-99 and Janine Beckie's program-leading 57 goals from 2012-15. Davis was selected No. 13 by Racing Louisville FC on Jan. 13 in the NWSL College Draft, but elected to return for her fifth season with the Red Raiders. Davis scored 16 goals, including six game-winners, during her junior season. Â
????? Racing towards game day! pic.twitter.com/jt6CwK25mJ
— Texas Tech Soccer (@TexasTechSoccer) August 18, 2021
The Miners are returning to Lubbock to play for the first time since the 2009 season with the Red Raiders owning a 6-4-0 all-time record in the series. Texas Tech won 4-3 in El Paso in the last matchup between the two programs on August 30, 2009. Â UTEP is coming off a season where it went 3-6-2 overall, including going 2-3-1 in Conference USA play.
"We know they're not a team to be taken lightly," Stone said. "It's going to be a great opener because we haven't played them in a while and there's some mystery on both sides. If we're not prepared, it could be a problem. We're worried about ourselves right now and focused on being good at what we need to be good at. We hope that it's too much for them, but if it's not, then during the game we'll have to adjust and defend like crazy because they have some kids who can score. It should be a really good one."
The Red Raiders are 17-9-1 all-time in season-openers, including going 4-0-1 in their last five after a 0-0 draw against Baylor in last season's first game. Texas Tech is 88-26-10 all-time at the Walker Soccer Complex, including earning a 4-0 win over Lamar in the 2008 season-opener in the first game played in the facility. The team comes into the 2021 season picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and is scheduled to begin conference play by hosting Oklahoma on Thursday, Sept. 23 after playing nine non-conference games.
Texas Tech will return to action this weekend with a game at UC San Diego at 1 p.m. (CST) in La Jolla, California at Triton Soccer Stadium with the game available on ESPN+. The Tritons are playing as a Division I member for the first time out of the Big West Conference and open their season on Thursday by hosting Cal. The Red Raiders will return from California to begin a four-game home stand against Hartford (Aug. 26), Abilene Christian (Aug. 29), Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 2) and UTSA (Sept. 5) at the Walker Soccer Complex.
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— Texas Tech Soccer (@TexasTechSoccer) August 16, 2021
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Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
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