Second half response gets Tech past Utah State 2-1

Sunday, September 14

Lubbock, Texas

1 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

6-1-0, 0-0-0

Utah State

2-3-2, 0-0-0

Utah St.

Texas Tech

Second half response gets Tech past Utah State 2-1

September 14, 2025 | Women's Soccer

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The Red Raiders won when conceding first for the first time since a 2-1 win over Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament a season ago

By: Andrew Stern

LUBBOCK, Texas – The reigning Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week Taylor Zdorjewski scored and drew what turned out to be a game-winning PK in Texas Tech's 2-1 hard fought win over Utah State Sunday afternoon at the John Walker Soccer Complex.

The goal for Zdrojewski was her seventh of the season, while the PK goal scored by Peyton Parsons was the first goal from the spot for Texas Tech (6-1) this season and came after Zdrojewski was dragged down in the Utah State (2-3-2) 18-yard box.

With the win, the Red Raiders won for the sixth time in the season's first seven matches, moving to 6-1 overall for the first time since the 2019 season when the Red Raiders started 9-1.

Sunday's win marked the first time since a Big 12 Tournament win over Baylor (Nov.) that the Red Raiders won when conceding first in a match, as the Red Raiders also won for the 15th-straight home non-conference match and moved to an astounding 40-0-1 when scoring twice in a match since the start of the 2022 season.

After a physical first half that saw the two teams combine for more fouls (12) than shots (9), it was Utah State that struck first on Sunday afternoon, when a turnover midway through the 52nd minute turned into a counterattack that ended with a Summer Diamond strike that eluded a diving Faith Nguyen.

Despite allowing her first goal since Aug. 24, Nguyen did make a season-best five saves, including a highlight reel stop on Diamond off a dangerous kick attempt in the 6th minute and a dazzling near post stop on a Kunie Hirai shot just 90 seconds before the break.

The goalkeeper improved to an impressive 19-6-2 in her 27 career starts at Tech, while it marked the first time since the 2023 NCAA Tournament loss that the Red Raiders conceded first at home (13 matches).

Facing their first home deficit since the 90th minute of last season's 2-1 loss to BYU, the Red Raiders did not take long to answer as less than three minutes later the dynamic duo of Macy Blackburn and Zdrojewski combined for yet another corner kick goal.

The goal was especially sweet for the striker, as unlike her 12th minute header that clanged off the cross bar and bounced out, her second header went bar-down and in.

With just six seconds left in the 75th minute, the opportunity for the go-ahead goal for the Red Raiders presented itself when a strong run from Zdrojewski ended in a foul in the box by USUs Kaeda Wilson.

The Red Raiders made the Aggies pay for their transgression when Parsons slotted home her 13th career goal and fifth career PK.

With just under 15 minutes to play and armed with the one goal lead, the Red Raiders held Utah State without a shot, closing out the Red Raiders 17th-straight result in the month of September (14-0-3).

HEAD COACH TOM STONE:
"We had to respond to two different things today. We weren't thrilled with our performance in the first half today. It wasn't bad we just didn't create a ton of scary chances. Utah State probably built some confidence from that. After conceding the first goal it looked like a day for Utah State, but we weren't having it. Within three minutes we equalized which was big time. Macy and Z are at their best when the pressure is on. Some of the corners today didn't go where we needed them to or wanted them to, but when we needed it, Macy delivered an absolute peach and Z crushed it home. It's not like the other team doesn't know that's Z's strength. Her heading. They had people all over, but Z rose up and got it done. The best part of that was our ability to close it out, because now we got the best of Utah State. Now they're coming and taking risks and putting players forward. There was a lot for us to deal with in that game. Santa Clara and Utah State were the two best teams we faced, and we knew that going into the non-con. And because of our one misstep this fall we couldn't lose today. We couldn't lose it and played like a team that couldn't lose it which was good to see."

On Lauren Woodruff and Alana Harry stepping up without Kylie Bahr:
"It was a day-to-day injury, and we knew yesterday that we wouldn't have Kylie today. We probably could have played her today, but we were protecting her like we did with Sam [Courtwright] against SMU. We want Kylie to be 100 percent with the Big 12 coming up now. And so, it was "Lew's" [Woodruff] first start of the season, and I thought she was great. It was on me that she played 55 minutes. She should have played 45, but I was like she looks good let's leave her out there and we wore her out a bit. So that was not her fault that was on us. She's 45 minutes 'fit' right now at that level playing wide. And then Lana [Harry] who we have been training as an outside back since the summer when we were counting outside backs and didn't have that many stood up. And Lana is powerful. The staff snickered a bit when I brought this up, but she said she really wanted to do this because I'm good on the flank and I can do this. She was right. She's getting better at the defensive shapes and posturing that she has to have, but man on the ball, she's hard to stop."

UP NEXT:
With non-conference play in the books the Red Raiders will turn their attention to the Big 12 Conference opener on Friday night against Baylor. First touch from Waco is set for 7 p.m.