No. 7 Tech welcomes No. 23 TCU for pivotal Big 12 clash

LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 7 Texas Tech soccer welcomes No. 23 TCU for a massive Big 12 battle Sunday afternoon from the John Walker Soccer Complex.

In a clash between the teams tied atop the Big 12 standings, Texas Tech will look to end a nine-match winless streak against the Horned Frogs. Tech's last win over TCU came during the 2015 season.

The match on Sunday will be the Red Raiders annual scarf game, as the first 500 fans will receive a knit Red Raider scarf sponsored by the Red Raider Club, and the first-ever collaboration with the Lubbock Matadors.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: No. 7 Texas Tech (11-0-3, 5-0-1 Big 12) vs. TCU (9-3-2, 5-0-1 Big 12)
DATE: Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (John Walker Soccer Complex)

LAST TIME OUT:
In the premiere matchup in the country on Thursday night, the seventh-ranked Texas Tech women's soccer program battled fellow No. 7 BYU to a 2-2 draw Thursday at South Field.

Down a goal for the first time this season, Texas Tech (11-0-3, 5-0-1 Big 12) showed its championship resolve, using a first half goal from freshman Sam Courtwright to tie the match at 1-1 with 6:30 to play in the first half.

The Cougars (10-1-3, 3-0-3 Big 12) had taken the 1-0 lead midway through the 18th minute when Jamie Shepherd scored her first goal of the season off a Cougar corner. As previously mentioned, the goal was the first Tech had conceded in a game all season, as the Red Raiders joined Penn State as the only two teams in the country to have not trailed this season entering the days action.

Following the halftime break, Tech quickly found a go-ahead goal, when senior Alex Kerr took a perfect pass from Ashleigh Williams. The senior knifed through the box and ripped a shot into the net, for her ninth goal of the season just 19 seconds into the 61st minute.

BYU quickly answered with its second goal of the night less than two minutes later when Ellie Walbruch buried her sixth goal of the season.

Both teams had their chances to score a decisive third goal over the final 25 minutes of the match, but neither side was able to find the back of the net, as the two sides played to a 2-2 draw.

Goalie Madison White made four saves on the night, tying her season high in saves.

With the draw, Texas Tech ran its unbeaten streak to 21 consecutive matches and is now unbeaten through 14 matches overall this season.

The draw also extends Tech's Big 12 unbeaten streak to an impressive 13 in-a-row.

QUICK KICKS:

Fresh off the programs first top-10 ranking since the 2014 season, the Texas Tech Red Raiders return home for a massive showdown against the TCU Horned Frogs on Sunday afternoon in what may very well decide who wins the regular season Big 12 title. Both TCU and Tech enter Sunday's matchup at 5-0-1 and sitting on 16 total points. The Red Raiders and Horned Frogs both tied BYU on the road.
Tech enters the matchup against the Horned Frogs having won 11 straight home matches overall. With a win, Tech would equal the longest home winning streak in program history (12; 2013-14).
The Red Raiders enter Sunday's contest with 38 total goals, tied for the sixth-most in the country. The Red Raiders have scored at least one goal in all 14 regular season games this season.
The Red Raiders enter Sunday's match unbeaten over the last 377 days. Tech's last loss came Sept. 25 of last season.
Tech also enters the weekend with 49 total assists to sit second in the country. The Red Raiders with one more assist would become just the second team in the country this season with 50 assists.
Freshman Sam Courtwright scored her fourth goal of the season. She became the first Tech true freshman to reach four goals since teammate Ashleigh Williams in 2021. Courtwright also has six assists on the season.
Junior Ashleigh Williams recorded her career-best fifth assist of the season on Thursday night at BYU. With the assist, Williams recorded her 64th career point to move into solo fifth place all-time on the Red Raiders point list.

SCOUTING THE HORNED FROGS:

• The TCU Horned Frogs enter Sunday's clash as winners of six straight matches after a 3-3 draw at BYU to open Big 12 play. The six-match winning streak began with a 3-1 victory over SFA back on Sep. 17. Over that winning streak, the Horned Frogs have outscored opponents 13-2 overall. In fact, the Frogs will take a 207 minute scoreless streak into Sunday's matchup. TCU was last scored upon back on Sept. 24 in a 5-1 win at WVU.
• The Horned Frogs are tied with Texas Tech's atop the Big 12 Tables. TCU is 5-0-1 in Big 12 play, and have won five straight conference matches against Cincinnati, WVU, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Kansas. Three of those five victories have been 1-0 wins with the only two exceptions coming versus Kansas State (2-0) and WVU (5-1)
• Sunday's road game will be the first for TCU since Sept. 24 at WVU, as TCU played its last three matches at home after playing its first three Big 12 contests on the road.
• In 14 total matches this season, TCU has scored 21 total goals with 12 of those goals coming from Gracie Brian and Seven Castian. Brian has a pair of assists to go with her six goals while Castain has scored five of her goals in Big 12 play. Brian is the Horned Frogs all-time leader in assists having recorded 26 in her career.

• Goalie Lauren Kellett has been strong for the Horned Frogs this season, as the senior has allowed just 11 goals in 14 matches this season. The Coppell native has a goals-against-average of just 0.79 and has seven total shutouts.
The 2021 Goalkeeper of the Year, Kellett is three-time First Team All-Big 12 selection.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders hit the road on Thursday when they head to UCF for another key Big 12 battle. First kick from Orlando is set for 5 p.m. (CT).

No. 7 Tech welcomes No. 23 TCU for pivotal Big 12 clash

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Players Mentioned

Sam Courtwright

Alex Kerr

Madison White

Ashleigh Williams

Texas Tech University Athletics