Tech Closes Regular Season Against Texas A&M, TCU
October 22, 2008 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 22, 2008
LUBBOCK, Texas -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
STARTING OFF...
The Texas Tech soccer team closes the regular season this weekend, hosting in-state rival Texas A&M Friday at 7 p.m., before facing TCU Sunday at 1 p.m. for Senior Day.
LOOKING AHEAD
After Friday's match against Texas A&M, the Red Raiders will turn to scoreboard watching to determine whether they have qualified for the Big 12 Championship. The top eight schools advance to the championship, which is held Nov. 5-9, in San Antonio, Texas.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M arrives in Lubbock reeling from two-consecutive losses last weekend at the hands of Kansas (1-0) and Missouri (3-0). Despite the losses, the Aggies remain the No. 11-ranked team in the nation in the Soccer America poll, sitting 12-3-1 overall and 5-2-1 in Big 12 play. The Aggies are currently second in the Big 12 standings, trailing only Colorado.
Texas A&M has four players - Laura Robinson, Jennifer Kmezich, Rachel Shipley and Amber Gnatzig - who have over 10 points with Robinson and Kmezich leading the team with five goals each. Following Kristin Arnold's season-ending injury at the beginning of the year, Kelly Dyer has been the Aggies' main goalkeeper, posting five shutouts and 57 saves, while being named the conference defender of the week three times already.
The Aggies are led by G. Guerrieri, who has posted a 267-76-15 overall record in his 15 seasons in College Station. Texas A&M returns 12 letterwinners, including six starters, off its 2007 squad that finished 18-4-2 and won the Big 12 regular season title, before falling to Texas in the second round of the NCAA Championship.
SCOUTING TCU
TCU enters this weekend tied for second in the Mountain West Conference at 11-3-1 overall and 3-2 in conference. Tech has lost seven of its last eight meetings with the Horned Frogs, including last year's 2-1 loss in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs are lead offensively by Jordan Calhoun and Lizzy Caroly, who both have over 20 points on the year with Caroly leading the team with 13 goals. Kelsey Walters had played most of the minute in goal, posting five shutouts and 55 saves, while only allowing 10 goals. TCU is coached by Dan Abdalla, who is 31-33-5 in his three seasons at TCU. The Horned Frogs return 16 letterwinners, including 10 starters, off last season's team that finished 8-11 overall and sixth in the Mountain West.
KEEP AN EYE ON...JUNIOR Emmie Bennett
Battling injury throughout the season, junior Emmie Bennett has steadily seen a rise in minutes over the past four matches, moving to the backline from her regular midfield position. Since playing 93 minutes in the overtime victory over Baylor, Bennett has played all 90 minutes over the past three matches.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP OUT OF TECH'S CONTROL
Despite having a five point lead for eighth place over Baylor and Oklahoma, the Red Raiders enter the final weekend of play without complete control of qualifying for the Big 12 Championship. While Tech has only one conference match remaining, Baylor, Oklahoma and Iowa State all lack three matches, allowing each to jump the Red Raiders for the final spot. The fewest amount of points to qualify for the conference championship since the field expanded to eight teams in 1999 is nine. Tech has never advanced to the Big 12 Championship in consecutive seasons. With a Tech win over Texas A&M, Baylor and OU would be forced to win all three remaining matches to jump Tech in standings, while Iowa State would automatically be eliminated. If Tech loses, Baylor and OU would have to win two of their remaining matches, while ISU would have to win all three.
HOFFERT NAMED TO BIG 12 FALL COMMUNITY OF CHAMPIONS
For her effort off the playing field, junior Megan Hoffert was named Tech's representive on the Big 12 Fall Community of Champions this week. Along with being president of the Student-Athlete Committee, Hoffert is also involved in various community activities around the Lubbock area.
LYTLE RISING UP TECH RECORD BOOK
With her two assists against Iowa State, redshirt freshman Taylor Lytle is already among the top 10 all-time career assist leaders. Her seven assists are tied for eighth place with Amy Rutstein and Kelly Taylor, while she has also moved into fourth place on the single season assist charts, two shy of Kristi Patterson and Kristy Frantz' record nine assists.
TECH ON SENIOR DAY
Tech will honor its two seniors, goalkeeper Tina Rincon and midfielder Shannon Sims, prior to Sunday's match against TCU. Rincon, the Tech all-time career shutouts leader, and Sims are both four-year letterwinners and have a combined 119 games played among them. The Red Raiders are a combined 4-14 all-time on Senior Day, but are winners of its last two contests. Tech defeated Baylor, 2-0, in 2006 to close the season and upset nationally-ranked Oklahoma State with a 1-0 victory last season.
ONE GOAL NEVER ENOUGH FOR HINDS
When Katie Hinds nets one goal, expect another to come shortly after. Hinds has six career goals, all this season, with all six coming from multiple-goal games. Hinds connected on two goals against Alabama A&M, Oral Roberts and Baylor, all Tech wins.
RED RAIDERS RESILIANT IN OVERTIME
Entering the season with no overtime wins since 2005, the Red Raiders not only earned their first Sept. 28 against Oklahoma, but also added another last weekend against Baylor. Both of Tech's overtme victories this year have come within about a minute into the second overtime.
NO ONE HIT WONDER
After advancing to the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 1999 last season, the Red Raiders are looking to return to postseason play in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. Tech has made a total of three trips - in 1996, 1999 and 2007 - to the Big 12 Championship, but has never won a postseason match in Big 12 play. Tech also qualified for the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1995, advancing to the second round off penalty kicks against TCU.
