Texas Tech Athletics
Oklahoma State
Tech Loses to Cowgirls in Quarterfinals of Big 12 Championship
November 04, 2010 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2010
SAN ANTONIO - Making its fourth-straight appearance in the Big 12 Championship, the Texas Tech soccer team lost to No. 10 Oklahoma State, 3-1, in the quarterfinal night cap Wednesday at Blossom Soccer Stadium.
It didn't take long for the Cowgirls (16-3-1/8-2 Big 12) to get on the scoreboard as Elizabeth DeLozier scored on a shot 35 yards out that went past Tech (11-8-1/4-5-1 Big 12) senior goalkeeper Colleen Pitts in the seventh minute.
"Between the 18 yard boxes the game was dead even," said head coach Tom Stone. "The only thing that separated the two teams was the shot they took and scored."
OSU led 1-0 at the half.
The second half was more of the same, a midfield battle that went both ways throughout the game. The Cowgirls scored again in the 63rd minute as Kristen Kelley headed one in from Catherine Parish.
"Around 30 minutes to go we pushed people forward and started to take more risks at the back. OSU had a quality counter that resulted in their second goal," stated Stone.
After that, Tech took it to the OSU defense creating multiple crosses that were headed out each time by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Melinda Mercado.
Tech's best chances in that span was when freshman Jessica Fuston found herself one-on-one with OSU goalkeeper Adrianna Franch eight yards out for a quick shot that was turned away by a reaction by the Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year Franch.
"We had a number of close calls in the offensive end and if any of them would have found the net, the game would have turned on its head, but OSU made every play they had to make," said Stone.
The last 10 minutes Tech pulled out all the stops and played man-to-man in the back and pushed junior center back Casey McCall up front.
While causing problems for OSU at the one end, it was a counter attack by the Cowgirls that put the game out of reach as Megan Marchesano scored in the 73rd minute.
There was no quit in the Red Raiders tonight and they felt like they were in it until the final whistle. Fuston scored a great goal off a back post serve from freshman Margaret Gottsacker, Fuston's team-leading 11th goal of the season.
"That's what Jess has done all year. She's relentless in her pursuit of goals. I was excited for Margaret who came on and gave us some good minutes and got her first point of her career," commented Stone.
The Cowgirls outshot Tech 12-11, however the Red Raiders outshot OSU 9-5 in the second half. Tech took four corner kicks to the OSU's two.
Sophomore Erin Wikelius suffered the loss in the nets as she played the second half after Pitts started the game.
Tech's 11 wins on the year are the most since 1996, as it made its sixth overall appearance in the Big 12 Championship this season, including every year in the Stone era.
