Texas Tech Athletics
5-1-0, 0-0-0
New Mexico State
1-6-0, 0-0-0
Mature effort powers Tech past NSMU, 2-0
September 04, 2025 | Women's Soccer
The Red Raiders used a pair of goals in the 70th and 77th minute to down the Aggies on the road
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Taylor Zdrojewski's third career brace and two more assists from Macy Blackburn pushed Texas Tech past New Mexico State, 2-0 at a drizzly Aggie Soccer Complex.
The goals for Zdrojewski were the 15th and 16th of her career while Blackburn recorded her 39th and 40th career assists.
The 40 assists are the most career assists by an active player in the country.
Locked in a battle of mental fortitude, Texas Tech (5-1) delivered one of its strongest offensive performances of the season as despite eight first half corners and 11 total shots, the Red Raiders entered the break deadlocked at zero.
With the New Mexico State (1-6) backline led by goalkeeper Valerie Guha parking the bus, the Red Raiders nearly struck first in the 10th minute when attacking-mid Peyton Parsons slipped a streaking Zdrojewski. The forward slotted home a low skipping ball but her would-be goal was called offsides.
Not deterred, the Red Raiders continued to push forward in search of the nights first goal. In the 32nd minute, Zdrojewski again nearly found the back of the net, but her rising shot was steered away by Guha.
The chance for Zdrojewski and a 33rd minute chance from Blackburn proved to be the final chances for the Red Raiders in half number one.
After the break, the Red Raiders came out of the locker room on fire, as a sliding shot from defender Molly Skurcesnki just two minutes and 10 seconds into the second half was turned aside by Guha.
Undeterred by ticking clock, the Red Raiders finally struck in the 70th minute when a deflected cross from Zdrojewski was turned away for the Red Raiders 10th corner of the night.
On the ensuing service, Blackburn dropped a picture-perfect ball in the middle of the six-yard box that Zdrojewski headed home for her fifth goal of the season.
Just seven minutes later the Red Raiders doubled their lead when a perfect flick from freshman Raliegh Greason played Blackburn behind the NMSU backline and toward the endline.
Crossing a wicked ball across the six-yard box, Blackburn's service connected with Zdrojewski's head by the far post. As she did on the first goal, Zdrojewski headed home the ball to complete the brace.
The goal was all the Red Raiders needed to close out another key road win and another clean sheet for the backline.
In the victory, the Red Raiders outshot NMSU 22-1, placing nine of those 22 attempts on goal.
The Aggies lone shot, a blocked Andrea Alvareng attempt, came deep in the 90th minute.
With the two-goal win the Red Raiders improved to 39-0-1 since the start of the 2023 when scoring twice and to 28-1-1 when Blackburn records an assist.
HEAD COACH TOM STONE:
"You could see us wanting to get frustrated. And we started to get away from the gameplan and away from our style. We started to rush our decisions. Their goalkeeper plays really high [up the field] and she's very good. And we fed into them wanting to kick it over our heads. We thought the final 10 minutes of the first half we didn't act like us. We were rushing things, and we lost the plot a little bit. That's what halftime was for. We calmed everyone down and told the players if we create that amount of chances in the second half no way one doesn't go in. It had to because we were on the doorstep the whole first half. All while playing some of the best passing soccer we've played all year. New Mexico State gave us the time to do that which helped, but we were great on the ball. We just couldn't score in the first half. It took a great effort from Macy and a beautiful serve on the corner and Z [Zdrojewski] goes up and smashes it in. Once we got that goal, we knew we were going to win, but I was happy that we went for the second one. That was one of the highlight goals of the year, the diving header from Z. It was magical."
On playing different styles:
"We've faced so many different formations this year and we've seen just about everything so far. We've had to adjust to every single team we've played so far and rarely has the team played the formation or system they played in the game prior. New Mexico State did tonight, but we've faced a lot of different things which has forced us to be adaptable and be able to adjust and find different ways to win. Today was a set piece and a phenomenal cross and a diving header to win it on the road. It had to happen. We couldn't drop this game. My dad used to say, 'sometimes there's no alternative to winning' and today there was really no alternative. We couldn't tie and we couldn't lose it. We had to win, and we played like that in the second half to get it."
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders close non-conference play one week from Sunday (Sept. 14) when the Aggies of Utah State pay a visit to the John Walker Soccer Complex for a 1 p.m. first touch.
Team Stats
Taylor Zdrojewski (6)
Assisted By: Macy Blackburn
GOAL by TTU Zdrojewski, Taylor Assist by Blackburn, Macy.
69:16
Taylor Zdrojewski (6)
Assisted By: Raleigh Greason , Macy Blackburn
GOAL by TTU Zdrojewski, Taylor Assist by Greason, Raleigh and Blackburn, Macy.
76:14
