Texas Tech Looks to Continue Streak at Kansas, Missouri
October 08, 2009 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 8, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech looks to continue its strong start to Big 12 play this weekend as it travels north to face Kansas at 4 p.m. Friday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex and Missouri at 1 p.m. Sunday from the Audrey J. Walton Complex.
THE KANSAS SERIES
Kansas has controlled the series all-time, maintaining a 10-3 advantage against Tech, while also winning the past five matches. The Red Raiders are 0-5 historically in Lawrence.
SCOUTING KANSAS
After opening the year with five-straight wins, Kansas (8-4-1; 0-3) has lost three of its last four matches, including all three in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks fell to Oklahoma State (3-0), Texas A&M (4-3) and Texas (2-1) to start Big 12 play.
Emily Cressy leads KU with six goals and three assists for 15 points, while Monica Dolinsky trails closely behind with 14 points off four goals and six assists. Kat Liebetrau and Julie Hanley have split action in goal so far, but Hanley has played every minute in conference matches. The duo has combined to allow 17 goals, while posting 47 saves and five total shutouts. Mark Francis is in his 11th season as KU's head coach, compiling a 125-82-16 mark during that time.
TECH LOOKS TO CONTINUE GREAT START
With a win over Kansas Friday, Tech will begin the conference season with its best start in school history. The 1997 squad opened the Big 12 portion of its schedule with four-straight wins before falling in its fifth match.
THE MISSOURI SERIES
Besides Oklahoma, Tech has notched its most wins among Big 12 opponents against Missouri. The Red Raiders are 5-10 all-time against the Tigers, but have won only one of the previous six matches. Tech last won in Columbia in 2006 when the Tigers were ranked No. 17 at the time.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
The Co-Big 12 preseason champion pick, Missouri has had a hard time registering conference wins so far as the Tigers are 1-0-2 early in Big 12 play and 6-4-3 overall. Missouri began conference action with a 3-2 win over Oklahoma State, before consecutive ties at Texas (1-1) and Texas A&M (4-4) last weekend.
The Tigers have three players with over 10 points - Michelle Collins (13), Bree Thornton (12) and Kristin Andrighetto (10). Collins and Thornton lead all scorers with five goals each. Tasha Dittamore has started every match in goal, allowing 23 goals, while collecting 54 saves for a .701 save percentage. Bryan Blitz enters his 14th season as Mizzou's head coach, posting a 147-123-14 record during that time. The Tigers host Big 12-leader Colorado at 7 p.m. Friday night.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - Casey McCall
Casey McCall (pictured above) continues to be Tech's top defender as the sophomore has played every minute in each of Tech's 11 matches. The Frisco native notched her first goal of the season against Oklahoma, driving in a header off a Conner Williams corner kick in the eighth minute.
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND
The Red Raiders continued their strong start to Big 12 play last weekend against Baylor and Oklahoma, shutting out the Bears, 1-0, before topping OU, 3-1. Tech is off to its best start in conference since the 1997 season when Tech won four-consecutive Big 12 matches.
LOOKING AHEAD
In the midst of its toughest stretch of the season, the Red Raiders return home next weekend for one match against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m., Oct. 16. The match will be Senior Night as seven players will play their last match at the John Walker Soccer Complex. Tech closes the season with three-straight road matches at Texas, Texas A&M and Colorado.
TECH UNVEILS NEWEST FACILITY
The Texas Tech Athletics Department officially unveiled the John Walker Soccer Complex prior to the Baylor match with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The second-year facility was introduced by Tech Chancellor Kent Hance, President Guy Bailey, Athletics Director Gerald Myers, head coach Tom Stone and alum and complex namesake John Walker.
TECH SURPASSES 2008 POINT TOTAL
With two wins last weekend, the Red Raiders surpassed their conference point total of nine from a year ago. Tech's 10 points is good enough for second in the Big 12 currently and trails only Colorado's 12, but the Buffaloes have played one more Big 12 match than Tech. Tech's nine points a year ago was good enough to put the Red Raiders into the Big 12 Championship for the second-consecutive season.
RED RAIDERS STRONG IN FIRST RPI RANKINGS
After a strong start to Big 12 play, Tech was No. 52 in the first RPI rankings released Monday. The Red Raiders were the fourth-highest team in the Big 12.
LYTLE BREAKS SINGLE-SEASON ASSIST RECORD
Taylor Lytle broke the Tech single-season assist record against Nebraska as the sophomore provided her NCAA-leading 10th assist of the year to Sarah Ellison in the match's 50th minute. The assist also moved Lytle into a tie with Kristi Patterson for second on the school's career list with 18. The Las Cruces, N.M., native needs eight more assists to tie Kristy Frantz for the career record. Frantz and Patterson had both previously shared the single-season mark.
RED RAIDERS EXTEND UNBEATEN STREAK
Tech enters this weekend with the longest unbeaten streak in the Big 12 as the Red Raiders are 4-0-1 since the loss to Alabama Sept. 18. Tech is also outscoring opponents 11-5 during that stretch, while posting two shutouts against Iowa State and Baylor.
ON-WARD GOALS
Dawn Ward continued her tear on opponents last weekend, netting her team-leading ninth goal of the season against Oklahoma, which is third in the Big 12. The goal was Ward's third game-winner of the season, which trails injured teammate Brittney Harrison by one for the conference lead.
PITTS POSTS ANOTHER SHUTOUT
Goalkeeper Colleen Pitts posted her second-consecutive shutout in Tech's 1-0 victory over Baylor last weekend. With one more shutout this weekend, the junior from Dallas would tie Melissa Keys for the school record for most-consecutive shutouts that was set in 1994. Pitts and freshman Erin Wikelius have continued to split matches during Big 12 play, with Pitts normally taking the Friday match and Wikelius in the Sunday one.
TECH USES YOUNG LINEUP AGAINST OU
The Red Raiders trotted out their youngest starting lineup of the season against Oklahoma as not one starter was older than a sophomore. Tech previously had at least one junior or senior in its opening lineup in every match of the Tom Stone era.
