Tech welcomes ORU for Sunday matinee

LUBBOCK, Texas – Riding a 15-match regular season winning streak and after a dominate 4-0 win on Thursday against Weber, Texas Tech Soccer welcomes Oral Roberts Sunday for the first afternoon match at the Walker this season.

Looking to move to 4-2-0 on the season, the Red Raiders have played their best soccer at The Walker this season, as Tech has outscored its opponents 13-0 at home this season.

Sunday's match is the mental health awareness match and will feature a rally towel giveaway for the first 200 fans.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (3-2-0) vs. Oral Roberts (1-3-1)
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas (John Walker Soccer Complex)

LAST TIME OUT:
Peyton Parsons recorded a hat trick, while Macy Blackburn and Molly Skurcenski each added a pair of assists to propel Texas Tech Soccer to another dominate 4-0 win at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

In her first start since injuring her right knee against the Horned Frogs a season ago, Blackburn made an immediate impact for Texas Tech (3-2), as the All-American recorded a pair of assists on the Red Raiders first two goals of the night, including a delivering a perfect pass to Parsons for a second-minute goal.

With the two assists, Blackburn passed Ali Murphy (24) for third all-time on the Red Raiders career assist list.

Blackburn now trails Kirsty Frantz for second on the all-time list by a singular assist and recent Texas Tech Hall of Fame inductee Taylor Lytle by just two for the all-time assist lad.

After heading to the locker room with a slim 1-0 lead, the Red Raiders again opened the half with a goal, when Taylor Zdrojewski buried a pair of strong feeds from Blackburn and Skurcenski for her fourth goal of the season.

Armed with a 2-0 lead, the Red Raiders quickly doubled their lead, when Parsons buried a free-kick from 20 yards out in the 65th minute, before burying a penalty kick just 12 seconds into the 68th minute.

Parsons set piece and PK goals were separated by just over two minutes and 30 seconds.

With her three-goal performance on Thursday, Parsons recorded the first Red Raider hat trick since Alex Kerr scored three goals against North Texas (Aug. 31) last season, and now has five goals in the Red Raiders five matches.

Entering the day, Parsons' five goals on the season would have been tied for both the national and Big 12 lead.

With tonight's 4-0 win, the Red Raiders have now outscored its three opponents 13-0 at John Walker this season, and have outscored opponents 43-3 at home since the start of the 2023 season.

That stretch includes six straight home regular season clean sheets dating back to the Aug. 31 match against UNT (6-1 W) a season ago.

Tonight's victory is also the Red Raiders 15th straight home non-conference win and 15th straight home regular season victory, as the Red Raiders are now 16-1-1 in their last 18 home games (includes 2023 postseason).

QUICK KICKS:
• The Red Raiders opened the final homestand before conference play in style on Thursday night, downing Weber State 4-0, behind a hat trick from junior Peyton Parsons and a pair of assists from both Macy Blackburn and Molly Skurcesnki.

• Blackburn and Skurcenski recorded both the assists on the Red Raiders first two goals, while Parsons scored the Red Raiders first goal of the evening and the final two goals of the night.

• Scoring for the soccer version of a "cycle", Parsons scored a PK goal, a set piece goal and a goal from the run of play on Thursday night. Parsons recorded the Red Raiders first hat trick of the season and the 10th in program history. Parsons first goal which came off a pair of beautiful passes from Skurcenski and Blackburn, was scored just 97 seconds into the match. The goal was the sixth-fastest goal scored since the start of the 2016 season.

• Thursday's 4-0 win over Weber also featured the ninth straight home regular season shutout, a streak that encompasses a full and complete calendar year. The Red Raiders last conceded a home goal in the regular season last Aug. 31. Including the postseason last year, Tech is now outscoring its opponents 43-3 at Walker since the start of the 2023 season.

• The Red Raiders enter Sunday's match with just two non-conference matches remaining before the start of Big 12 conference play arrives a week from Thursday (Sept. 13) at TCU. Tech will enter Big 12 play riding a 16-match unbeaten streak in conference play after going unbeaten in Big 12 play (8-0-2) in 2023.

• Graduate student Sidney O'billovich made her first start as a Red Raider on Thursday night against Weber and earned her first win and clean sheet as a Red Raider.

• With the 4-0 win on Thursday night, the Red Raiders are now outscoring opponents 13-0 at home this season and have outshot opponents 76-9 over the three home matches.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return to action on Thursday night for the non-conference finale against Oregon. First touch is set for 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Macy Blackburn

Alex Kerr

Sidney O'billovich

Peyton Parsons

Molly Skurcenski

Taylor Zdrojewski