Tech returns home; welcomes Baylor Friday

LUBBOCK, Texas – Fresh off a perfect 3-0-0 road swing and riding a four-match winning streak, Texas Tech Soccer returns home Friday for the start of a three-match homestand against Baylor.

Sitting tied with Colorado and WVU atop the Big 12 standings, Texas Tech enters the week riding a 22-match Big 12 unbeaten streak and an 18-match home winning streak overall.

The Red Raiders enter the week with a goal differential of +23 (31-8) this season and a goal differential of +57 (76-19) dating back to the 2023 season.

Home for the first time since Sept. 19 against Utah, Friday's match will have a pair of giveaways, as the first 200 fans will receive a special edition Big 12 Champions post as well as a Big 12 Champions puzzle.

As part of Friday's Kids Night, the first 100 kids will receive a meal curtesy of Raising Cane's, as well as a ballon animal artist.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (9-2-1, 4-0-1 Big 12) vs. Baylor (6-4-3, 1-2-2 Big 12)
DATE: Friday, October 4, 2024
TIME: 7 PM
LOCATION: John Walker Soccer Complex (Lubbock, Texas)

LAST TIME OUT:
In hot and humid conditions and facing a third-straight road game in eight days, No. 25 Texas Tech Soccer downed Houston 2-0, at the Carl Lewis International Complex Sunday afternoon.

With temps soaring over 90, and the real feel near 100, Texas Tech (9-2-1, 4-0-1 Big 12) got a rocket from Taylor Zdrojewski just 38 seconds after halftime, and a strike from Peyton Dyess two minutes later to seal the win.

With the two goals, the Red Raiders are now outscoring opponents 16-1 after halftime this season.

In the victory, goalkeeper Faith Nguyen made a career-high six saves to earn her eighth victory and sixth clean sheet of the season. With the clean sheet today, Nguyen moved into a tie for ninth all-time on the career shutout list.

After a frustrating first half that featured 10 shots, five corners and multiple stromg opportunities, the Red Raiders finally broke through after intermission when Zdrojewski turned and ripped a "bar down" shot that clanged off the bar and bounced into the net.

The goal, which came on the backs of her two-assist performance in Thursday's win at K-State, was Zdrojewski's sixth of the season. The forward now sits on 15 total points, one shy of Peyton Parsons' team-leading 16.

Up a goal, the Red Raiders didn't take long to quickly double their lead, when Skylar Haase found a wide-open Peyton Dyess on the left flank. Dyess took one touch and ripped a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner of the net.

The strike was Dyess' first career goal, as the freshman became the 12th Red Raider to find the back of the net this season.

Armed with the 2-0 lead and 40 mins away from their 22nd-straight Big 12 Conference result, the Red Raiders behind a couple of strong saves from Nguyen closed out their sixth straight Big 12 Sunday clean sheet.

With the victory, the Red Raiders closed another perfect 2-0-0 week, to vault to the top of the Big 12 standings. Based on Sunday's results, the Red Raiders are tied with Colorado and West Virginia with 13 points (2.60/match), two points clear of fourth-place TCU.

Sunday's 2-0 win over Houston also moves the Red Raiders to 9-0-4 on the road since a 2021 loss at WVU and increased the Red Raiders Big-12 best goal differential to +7, as Tech has outscored its opponents 8-1 in five Big 12 matches this season.

Quick Kicks:

• Unbeaten in eight straight matches (7-0-1) and winners of four straight, Texas Tech finally returns home for the first time since Sept. 19 against Utah and after a perfect 3-0-0 road trip that included a pair of 2-0 wins over No. 12 OSU and Houston as well as a 2-1 win over Kansas State.

• With Sunday's win, the Red Raiders also closed the month of September at 6-0-1, marking the second straight season that Tech
went 6-0-1 in September.

• With Sunday's 2-0 win over Houston, the Red Raiders have now outscored opponents 76-19 (+57) since the start of the 2023 season and have outscored opponents 31-8 this season after outscoring opponents 45-11 a season ago.

• The Red Raiders enter Friday's match against Baylor riding three different streaks, the first being a 22-match unbeaten streak in Big 12 Conference matches (18-0-4). That streak has reached over two seasons, as it dates back to a Sept. 25, 2022 loss to Texas.

• The Red Raiders also have won 18 straight home regular season matches dating back to the UT setback.
• The third and final streak that the Red Raiders will take into the game against BU is a nine-match home clean sheet streak. The last time the Red Raiders conceded a home goal at
Walker was the Sept. 25 match back in 2022 against UT.
• It's been home sweet home for the Red Raiders at the Walker this season, but really the last three seasons, as Tech is 19-2-2 at home since the start of the 2022 season. The Red Raiders are outscoring opponents 69-7 since the start of the 2022 season at Walker.

•In fact, since installing the natural grass surface at the Walker (ahead of the 2023 season) the Red Raiders have won 16-straight home regular season games and are outscoring opponents 56-3. After outscoring opponents 31-2 last season at Walker, the Red Raiders have been even more dominant at home, as they have outscored their opponents 25-1 in six home matches this season.

•After playing four of the first five games of conference play on the road, and the last three matches away from Lubbock, the Red Raiders return to the Walker for the start of a pivotal three-match homestand against Baylor, No. 14 Colorado and Iowa State.
• Seeking to repeat as Big 12 Champions, the Red Raiders will play four of the final six at Walker.
• The Red Raiders enter the weekend tied with the 14th-ranked Buffs and WVU for first place in the Big 12 standings at 4-0-1. Colorado hosts TCU in Boulder on Saturday while WVU is set to host UCF on Friday night.
• The Red Raiders host Colorado on Thursday (Oct. 10) and will head to WVU the following Thursday, on Oct. 17.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders continue the three-match homestand next Thursday night when they play host to No. 14 Colorado. First touch from the John Walker Soccer Complex is set for 7 p.m.

Tech returns home; welcomes Baylor Friday

Players Mentioned

Peyton Dyess

Skylar Haase

Faith Nguyen

Peyton Parsons

Taylor Zdrojewski

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