Texas Tech Athletics
Prairie View A&M
Red Raiders Pummel Prairie View in NCAA Opener
November 14, 2014 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 14, 2014
The victory moves Texas Tech (15-3-2) on to the second round of the NCAA Championship for a third-straight season where the Red Raiders will face the winner of Saturday's Florida Gulf Coast and Auburn match at a site and time to be determined.
The Red Raiders, who are now 3-0 when hosting an NCAA Championship match at home, ensured they would live to see another day early in the match, scoring four goals in the first 22 minutes against Prairie View (11-9-1), three of which that came off the foot of Beckie.
"It's easy to not be dialed in when you kind of think beforehand that you are going to get the win, but our team was ready to roll and I was proud of them for that," Tech head coach Tom Stone said. "I think the explosion that we kind of gave in the first half really beat down their belief level. We really never gave (Prairie View A&M) the chance to play the underdog card and that's important when you're the favorite."
Her second goal pretty much set the tone for the rout that was to come as she took a long pass down the right side from Meagan McCullough, sprinted towards the box and fired to the right post. The goal at the time tied the Tech career goals record of 41 that was previously set by Kristy Frantz from 1996-99.
Beckie waited just under 10 minutes before snapping that record as she knocked in her 16th goal of the season, giving Tech a commanding 4-0 lead at the half. Of the 42 goals Beckie has now scored during her almost three full seasons as a Red Raider, eight have come in the NCAA Championship, the most for any player in program history.
Her hat trick came in just 24 minutes of play as Stone removed Beckie as well as several other Tech starters late in the second half, giving the Red Raiders additional rest for next weekend's second round match.
"I think the team did a really good job tonight," said Stone, who is now 3-1-1 all-time in the NCAA Championship. "We heard them talking in the locker room without us there about not taking anything for granted. When they start telling each other `this isn't guaranteed,' `there is nothing ensured here,' `we have to take care of tonight,' that's when you know their mindset is right. This is what you play all year for and we're ready to keep it going."
Casey scored the first of her two goals in the 21st minute, just 39 seconds before Beckie, who was credited with an assist on the play, completed her hat trick. She added her second goal early in the second half off an intercepted goal kick where Casey found the back of the net from over 30 yards away.
Caity Heap followed shortly after with a goal in the 57th minute off a pass from Casey in the box. It was the fourth goal of the season for Heap, who, along with McCullough, became the only Red Raiders in school history to record two assists in a NCAA Championship match.
Crabtree closed Tech's scoring in the 63rd and 66th minutes as she knocked in a pair of goals off passes from Alex Marmureanu and Hannah Devine. The performance marked the first time either Crabtree or Casey had recorded at least two goals in a match.
Tech attempted a season-high 33 shots in the victory, thanks in part to its work in the midfield and back line where the Red Raiders practically controlled possession for the majority of the match. Prairie View was limited to just two shots overall, both of which that came late in the second half and were saved by Lauren Watson.
In three NCAA Championship matches played at home, the Red Raiders have never allowed a goal to an opponent, shutting out North Texas in 2012, Minnesota in 2013 and now against a Prairie View program that was making its first ever tournament appearance.
The Red Raiders will wait till Sunday before knowing the site of their second round match. Tech would only host a second round match if No. 2 seed Florida drops its opening-round contest set for Sunday against Mercer.
The official start time and location for each of the second round matches will be announced Sunday afternoon by the NCAA.
