No. 2 Tech returns home for NCAA date with FGCU

LUBBOCK, Texas – For the first time since the 2019 season, the Texas Tech women's soccer program will play in the NCAA Tournament, as Tech will play host to the Eagles of FGCU on Friday night at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

The 6 p.m. start will be live streamed on ESPN+/Big 12 Now and will be the first all-time matchup between Texas Tech and FGCU.

Returning home for the first time since Oct. 15, a span of 26 days, Tech will host an NCAA Tournament match at The Walker for the first time since 2019 when the Red Raiders defeated Pepperdine in PKs.

Seeded on the two-line for the first time in program history, Tech will have the opportunity to host upwards of three matches during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, as if victorious the Red Raiders will host next Friday's Second Round and the Third Round two days later.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: No. 2 Texas Tech (15-1-4) vs. FGCU (12-4-5)
DATE: Friday, November 10, 2023
TIME: 6 p.m.
TOURNAMENT: NCAA Tournament First Round
LOCATION: John Walker Soccer Complex (Lubbock, Texas)

LAST TIME OUT:
In the highly anticipated rematch of the Sept. 21 matchup also in Austin and the Mike Myers Stadium and Soccer Field, the No. 4 ranked Texas Tech women's fell 1-0 to Texas in the Semifinals of the Big 12 Championship Wednesday.

In what turned out to be a tightly contested defensive battle, it was Texas Tech (15-1-4) that came out on the short-end, as the Red Raiders not only suffered their first loss of the season but also were shutout for the first time since a 1-0 loss in the 2022 Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals a season ago.

Unlike the previous two road contests at BYU and at UCF, and frankly all season where the Red Raiders were able to find either the equalizer, the go-ahead goal, or that moment of brilliance, no such goal or moment came tonight against Texas (14-4-2).

Instead, it was the Longhorns who flipped the script of the Sept. 21 matchup to an extent, using a world-class strike on their home pitch from forward Trinity Byars to seal a spot in the Big 12 Championship Match on Saturday night.

Texas will meet the winner of No. 6 BYU and UCF later on Wednesday evening in that aforementioned championship match.

The Red Raiders certainly had moments on Wednesday to try and either find the ever important first goal or the even more important equalizer.

In the very first minute of the match, the Red Raiders used a shot by Alex Kerr to set up a corner kick just 57 seconds into the match. On the attempt, Freshman Sam Courtwright served a strong ball that captain Hannah Anderson was able to high point. The defender made strong contact, but the attempt was right at Texas' Mia Justus who made a clean save.

Just over 30 minutes later it was again Courtwright who set up a scoring opportunity, when she received a pass, turned her hips and fired a shot on target. But much like the Anderson header, the ball was struck right at Justus who made her final save of the night.

Heading into the break scoreless, Texas quickly took control, using the aforementioned strike from Byars in the 50th minute.

Seeking the equalizer, Tech continued to surge forward as Kerr had two strong chances in both the 55th minute and 60th minute to record Tech's first goal of the match. The attempt in the 55th was the better of the two chances, and came off a strong feed from forward Ashleigh Williams who sprung Kerr free in the Horns 18-yard box.

Taking a dribble, the dangerous forward ripped a right-footed shot that skipped past both Justus and the left-post and wide of the frame.

Those two chances, combined with one last attempt in the 79th minute comprised the Red Raiders best scoring chances.

In her first setback since the 2022 Big 12 Tournament, goalie Madison White made four saves including a highlight reel stop 47 seconds into the 32nd minute on a rising shot from Byars that kept the game scoreless.

The third of those four saves for White was her 250th career stop, as the goalie became just the fifth netminder in program history to record 250 career stops.

QUICK KICKS:
Postseason soccer returns to the John Walker Soccer Complex for the first time since 2019 on Friday night as HC Tom Stone and his seconded seeded Red Raiders return to the friendly confines of the John Walker Soccer complex for the first time since Oct. 15, a span of 26 days. The Walker has been kind to the Red Raiders as Tech will take a 12-match winning streak into the clash with FGCU. The 12 game winning streak at home is tied with Florida State for the longest such streak in the country.
The Red Raiders have earned a No. 2 seed for the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The No. 2 overall seed is the highest seed that Tech has ever earned in the NCAA Tournament and comes after the Red Raiders earned the first regular season Big 12 title in program history.
Tech also enters the match on Friday with an unbeaten 5-0-1 record at the John Walker Soccer Complex in NCAA Tournament play. Tech has played a home match now in seven of its eight NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Red Raiders will to avenge their first loss of the season on Friday after falling 1-0 to the University of Texas in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The Red Raiders entered the match against Texas as one of four teams in the country to be unbeaten (Tech, South Alabama, Stanford and Florida State).
Tech's loss to UT came in shutout fashion. It marked the first time that Tech was shutout in a game this season.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES:
• FGCU enters the tournament on a high after winning the ASUN postseason tournament in dramatic fashion. After falling behind 3-0 in the championship match, the Eagles roared back to tie North Alabama at 3-3 using three goals in less than 20 minutes as ASUN Tournament MVP Erika Zschuppe scored goals in the 64th, 66th and 78th minutes to tie the match at three. FGCU would later go one to win 3-2 in PKs.
• Entering the match at 12-4-5, FGCU went 7-1-3 during Atlantic Sun play, outscoring opponents 33-17 in the regular season and ASUN Tournament. The Eagles have three players with at least five goals and 15 points highlighted by Zschuppe's 10 goals and eight assists. Sophomore forward Kendal Gargiula has contributed eight goals and three assists, while Ashley Labbe added six goals and three asists. Labbe, Gargiula and Zschuppe were all named First Team All-Conferences selections
• Despite a season opening loss to fifth-seeded Iowa in the home opener, FGCU got off to a strong start to the 2023 season downing Texas A&M Corpus Christi and USF 4-0 and 2-0. After a pair of losses at App State and at FAU, FGCU rebounded with a pair of wins to open conference play against UNF and JU. After their lone setback to Central Arkansas on Sept. 21, FGCU was unbeaten over the final eight matches conference play, winning five times and drawing three times. The Eagles enter Friday's match on an 11-match unbeaten streak.
• FGCU goalie Olivia Molina has started and played all 21 matches for the Eagles this season making 109 saves and recording 10 shutouts. Molina is a true freshman and earned All-ASUN Freshman honors.

UP NEXT:
With a victory on Friday night, Texas Tech would advance to the Second Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament where the winner of No. 7 Princeton and Michigan would await in Lubbock. As part of the weekend, Tech would also host a neutral site match between the winner of No. 6 Alabama and Western Carolina and No. 3 UNC and Towson.

Texas Tech University Athletics

No. 2 Tech returns home for NCAA date with FGCU

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Hannah Anderson

Sam Courtwright

Alex Kerr

Madison White

Ashleigh Williams

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