Red-hot No. 25 Tech heads to Waco Sunday

WACO, Texas – Fresh off a dramatic and exciting 2-1 win Thursday at No. 14 Texas, the 25th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders head to Waco Sunday for a clash at Baylor.

In what projects to be one of the warmest games of the season (temperatures are expected to climb to around 100 degrees), it will the Red Raiders who look to remain red hot, as Tech enters the contest riding a 17-match regular season unbeaten streak and a nine-match Big 12 unbeaten streak. Both of that marks date back to the 2022 season.

Off to an 8-0-2 start, the Red Raiders with a win against Baylor, would set the best start in program history (by winning percentage) and start 3-0-0 in Big 12 play for the first time.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: No. 25 Texas Tech (8-0-2, 2-0-0 Big 12) at Baylor (5-4-1, 0-2-0 Big 12)
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 2023
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Waco, Texas

LAST TIME OUT:
Hannah Anderson headed in a Macy Blackburn free kick as time expired Thursday night, sending No. 25 Texas Tech past No. 14 Texas, 2-1, in a pivotal Big 12 Conference matchup at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

The victory kept the Red Raiders' undefeated record in tact as Texas Tech improved to 8-0-2 on the season and a perfect 2-0 in Big 12 play.

The loss was the second of the season for Texas, which dropped to 7-2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference action. It's also the Red Raiders first true road win of the season and the first road top-25 win since Sept. 21, 2019 when the Red Raider downed then No. 22 USF 2-1. By downing No. 14 UT, Tech also recorded its highest ranked win since 2015 when the then ranked No. 18 Red Raiders downed No. 2 WVU in the Big 12 Championship match.

With the win, Texas Tech also snapped Texas' 19-game Big 12 unbeaten streak, a streak that spanned nearly three years. Ironically enough, the last time Texas fell in a Big 12 match was against Tech back on Nov. 6th 2020.

The goal by Anderson in the 89th minute was her third of the season and possibly the most memorable thus far in her career as the senior captain got behind the Texas back line and beat Texas goalkeeper Megan Hogate to a perfect ball from Blackburn. Anderson headed the ball to the left post as it crossed the goal line as time expired. Hogate entered the match in the 30th minute of Mia Justus who left due to injury.

On the game-winner, Blackburn recorded her 20th career assist in just her 31st game. The defender became the sixth Red Raider to record 20 assists in program history tonight.

The Red Raiders previously scored earlier in the match off an Ashleigh Williams rebound in the 11th minute. Williams, who found the back of the net for her team-leading 10th goal already this season, quickly drilled a ball off a rebound that originally came from an Alex Kerr shot off the crossbar.

Texas tied the match in the 37th minute off a Trinity Byars goal that was one of 16 shots on the night from the Longhorns against Red Raider goalkeeper Madison White, who made three saves in the win.

Texas led the shot count with a 16-13 advantage. Entering the match having scored a NCAA-best 39 goals the Red Raider held the Longhorns to just the Byers strike in the 37th minute.

QUICK KICKS:
• The 25th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders enter Sunday's clash at Baylor riding a 17-match regular season unbeaten streak and nine-match Big 12 unbeaten streak. Off to the best start (by winning pct) since the 2014 season, Texas Tech looks to set the best start in program history with a victory on Sunday afternoon.

• In what projects to be one of the warmest games of the season (temperatures are expected to climb to around 100 degrees), it will the Red Raiders who look to remain red hot, as Tech will look to start 3-0-0 in Big 12 play for the first time in program history.

• Boasting one of the most complete and deepest teams in the country, the Red Raiders have outscored opponents 29-5 this season overall and 16-2 in the first half.

• Junior Ashleigh Williams broke a four-match scoreless streak on Thursday night when she buried a bouncing rebound after an Alex Kerr shot banged off the crossbar. The goal was Williams' 10th of the season and is a new career-mark.

• The win against UT on Thursday, came in one of the most dramatic ways possible, as Tech used a perfect free kick service from Macy Blackburn and a header from Captain Hannah Anderson to take a 2-1 lead with :01 left. The goal was Tech's 29th of season and the Red Raiders 39th assist this season.

SCOUTING THE BEARS:
• Baylor enters Sunday's match with an 0-2 mark in Big 12 play after losing to both UT and BYU by a score of 4-0. The loss to UT came 10 days ago (Sept. 14) while the setback against BYU occured on Thursday (Sept. 21). On the year, the Bears are 5-4-1 overall and 3-3 at the Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

• Baylor is in year one under the tutelage of head coach Michelle Lenard who assumed the job back on Dec. 11, 2022. The sixth all-time coach in program history, Lenard arrived in Waco after a 14 year career as the head coach at Dallas Baptist. While at DBU, Lenard went 200-77-26 and won 13 conference championships (seven regular season, six postseason).

• The Patriots made nine D-II NCAA Championship appearances including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2015. Lenard coached nine All-Americans and was a four-time LSC Coach of the Year Selection. In her final season DBU spent the majority of the 2022 season at the No. 1 spot in the USC D-II poll and ended the year at No. 7 overall after going 17-2-1 and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

• Baylor has found most of its offense come from Ashley Merrill and Tyler Isgrirg. Merrill has scored a team-best seven goals while Isgrirg has added four goals and seven assists. Merrill reunited with Lenard after spending the 2020 and 21 seasons at DBU. Merrill scored 32 goals in two seasons under Lenard at DBU, and now has 43 goals in 65 career games at the two levels. Isgrirg transferred to to BU after a six goal and three assist freshman campaign at TCU.

• A pair of goalies have split duties for Baylor as Makinzie Short has played in seven contests with Ashlee Zirkel appearing five times. Zirkel has allowed seven goals in 360 minutes while Short has allowed six goals in 540 minutes.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return to the John Walker Soccer Complex on Thursday for a showdown with Oklahoma. First kick is set for 7 p.m.

Red-hot No. 25 Tech heads to Waco Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Hannah Anderson

Macy Blackburn

Alex Kerr

Madison White

Ashleigh Williams