Texas Tech soccer (9-3-2, 2-2-1 Big 12) will complete their last in-conference road trip with one game on Thursday and another on Sunday.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., the Red Raiders will play the Iowa State Cyclones (4-7, 1-2) before playing Sunday at 12 p.m. against the No. 21 West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3-2, 2-1-1).
Extra Rest
Texas Tech is coming off a tough, hard-fought tie with Oklahoma State on October 7.
When Tech plays on Thursday, it will be the first time that the Red Raiders have had a full week between matches since the break between the Arizona State game on September 12 and the Eastern Washington game on September 19.
Tech head coach Tom Stone said there’s “no negatives” in getting extra rest, and he said the Red Raiders were able to complete three practice sessions that they needed for this week’s games.
Senior midfielder Charlotte Teeter said it was nice to have a weekend of rest that was also a weekend of training.
Strengths of the Team
Stone said the Red Raiders have multiple strengths at this point in the season.
“I think we can score on anybody,” Stone said. “I think we’ve got the best goalkeeper in the conference [Madison White], I think we have the best goal scorer in the conference [Kirsten Davis], and then a whole lot of great players in between them, so I think our roster is a big strength.”
Stone said there is a great vibe to this team, and Teeter said the chemistry is a big strength of the team as well.
“We truly do play for each other,” Teeter said, “and I feel like that’s a super big part of our success, and I feel like it’ll be leading us to good success this weekend as well.”
Trying to Set Up for the Postseason
The NCAA Rating Percentage Index, which rates all 342 NCAA Division I teams, has lower ratings for Big 12 teams compared to previous years.
Texas Tech is No. 85 in RPI, which is seventh among Big 12 teams.
No Big 12 team is ranked in the top 40 in RPI with the exception of No. 13 TCU.
Tech’s opponents this week, Iowa State and West Virginia, are ranked 171 and 56, respectively.
Stone said that because of the lower ratings for Big 12 teams, Tech will have to win more games to make sure they make the NCAA Tournament this season.
He said their record is not bad, but they want to put more distance between the number of wins and the number of losses.
“We’ve been in seven of the last eight [NCAA Tournaments],” Stone said, “so we don’t like the idea of missing it.”
Quick Hits
- West Virginia is 2-1-1 in Big 12 play, but their two most recent games were a tie with Kansas State on October 7 and a loss to Kansas on October 10.
- After starting Big 12 play with nine goals in the first two games, Texas Tech has scored just three goals in the last three games.
- Tech super senior forward Kirsten Davis leads the team in shots on goal (30) and goals (12).
- Tech freshman defender Macy Blackburn is tied for second in the Big 12 with eight assists.
- West Virginia defender Jordan Brewster won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
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