Tech welcomes Ball State Thursday

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech women's soccer program continues a five-match home stand on Thursday night when they welcome the Ball State Cardinals for a 7 p.m match.

The matchup will be the first between Ball State and Texas Tech in program history and will serve as the Red Raiders Military Appreciation night. All active and former duty military members can receive one complimentary ticket (with ID) for Thursday's match.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0-1) vs. Ball State (1-1)
DATE: Thursday, August 23, 2023
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (John Walker Soccer Complex)

LAST TIME OUT:
Powered by a strong crowd of over one thousand and in the first game on the new natural grass surface, the Texas Tech Red Raiders rolled past New Mexico State, 5-0, Sunday night at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

In the victory, the Red Raiders received a pair of goals from forwards Alex Kerr and Ashleigh Williams and a penalty kick goal from Preseason All-Big 12 selection Hannah Anderson.

For the second straight match, Elise Anderson was strong off the bench, recording a pair of assists.

Unlike the New Mexico match on Thursday where Texas Tech (1-0-1) dominated the ball early without finding the net, Williams flipped the script, finding the back of the net in the 15th minute after center back Cassie Taylor found a streaking Macy Blackburn who swung the ball into Williams.

Running down the rightside, Blackburn crossed a perfect ball into the back by the far post. Williams calmly tracked the ball down and deposited it into the wide-open net.

The goal gave Tech an early 1-0 lead.

Less than 15 minutes later, the Red Raiders quickly doubled their lead, as this time Elise Anderson led the charge. After taking a strong feed from Giselle Kozarski, Anderson raced past the Aggies (1-1) backline. The defender crossed the ball to a streaking Williams who redirected toward Kerr, for the Vandy transfers first goal in the Scarlett and Black.

With less than 90 seconds left in the opening half, the Red Raiders found the back of the net, when Anderson was fouled in the box awarding a penalty kick.

After drawing the foul, the captain also took the attempt, burying the ball in the lower-right hand corner of the next. The strike was her 10th career goal, and gave the Red Raiders a 3-0 lead at the break.

Coming off the strong first half, the Red Raiders wasted no time finding the back of the net in the second half, when Williams completed her brace 56 seconds into the half.

With the game firmly in hand, the Red Raiders added their fifth and final goal just 13 minutes later, when Kaitlyn Giametta found a streaking Kerr. The senior alertly and swiftly dribbled around New Mexico State keeper Valerie Guha and deposited the ball into the back of the net.

In the end, Tech recorded 17 shots as compared to New Mexico State's six, with nine of the 17 shots landing on goal.

With the clean sheet tonight, Texas Tech keeper Madison White recorded her 27th career shutout to move to within two shutouts of tying Victoria Esson for the most in program history.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS:
• Ball State enters Thursday's match with a 1-1 record after falling 3-0 to No. 3 Notre Dame back on Sunday. In that match, Notre Dame outshot Ball State 32-4 as BSU keeper Bethany Moser turned away eight of the 12 shots that landed on goal.
• The Cardinals won their opener last Thursday 5-1 over Mercyhurst. In that game, BSUs Avery Fenchel scored just one minute and 21 seconds in, at the 4:15 mark and in the 32nd minute. Two of Fenchels three goals were assisted by Tori Monaco. In that game, Mercyhurst scored its lone goal on a PK.
• A former First Team All-MAC selection, Fenchel scored 11 goals a season ago, the second-most goals in a single season in BSU history. In her career, the Michigan native has scored 16 goals.
• In the 2023 Preseason MAC poll, BSU was picked third behind Buffalo and Western Michigan. The Cardinals received one of the 11 first place votes from the MAC coaches.
QUICK KICKS:
• Tom Stone and the Red Raiders continue the five-match homestand on Thursday night when the Cardinals of Ball State visit the John Walker Soccer Complex. Thursday's match will be military appreciation night, as all former and active duty military members will receive one complimentary ticket (with a valid ID).
• Tech opened its home slate in style on Sunday night when they defeated New Mexico State 5-0. The win was the largest margin of victory by a Tech team since the 2021 season when Tech defeated Oklahoma 7-0.
• The Red Raiders have been simply dominant this season offensively. Through the first two matches Tech is outshooting its opponents 32-9 overall and 18-2 in shots on goal.
• Tech's offense has recorded nine shots on goal in back-to-back matches for the first time since the 2021 season when Tech recorded nine shots on goal against Arizona State and 12 against Eastern Washington (Sept. 19-23).
• After recording just 14 assists in 14 matches a season ago, Tech has already recorded eight helpers through the season's first two matches.
• Vandy transfer Alex Kerr had a career night on Sunday night recording a pair of goals and an assist. The five combined recorded points are the most in a single game in her career.
• Senior captain Hannah Anderson recorded her 10th career goal on Sunday night against New Mexico State. The goal came off a penalty kick after Anderson was fouled deep inside the New Mexico State box.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders continue the five-match homestand on Sunday night when they welcome Utah State for a 7 p.m. contest.

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Players Mentioned

Elise Anderson

Hannah Anderson

Macy Blackburn

Alex Kerr

Cassie Taylor

Madison White

Ashleigh Williams