No. 12 Texas Tech Soccer started hot in the desert \u2014 and finished even hotter \u2014 landing the first and last punch in a gritty 3\u20132 win over Arizona State on Thursday night. Junior forward Taylor Zdrojewski scored twice, including the game-winner in the 85th minute, as the Red Raiders showed they can take a hit, stand back up and finish the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were outstanding in the first half and stormed out to a two-goal lead,\u201d head coach Tom Stone said. \u201cWe knew they were going to throw everything at us in the second half \u2014 and they did \u2014 but we gritted it out and found a way to win on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n
The win moved Texas Tech to 11\u20131\u20132 overall and 5\u20130\u20132 in Big 12 play, moving the Red Raiders into first place with four games to go as they prepare for another road test at Arizona on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Texas Tech Stat Leaders<\/p>\n
Taylor Zdrojewski \u2013 4 shots, 2 shots on goal, two goals, 84 min<\/p>\n
Sam Courtwright \u2013 4 shots, 2 shots on goal, 2 assist, 84 min<\/p>\n
Molly Skurcenski \u2013 2 shots, 1 shot on goal, 1 assist, 90 min<\/p>\n
Macy Blackburn \u2013 SORCERY, 1 assist<\/p>\n
How It Happened<\/p>\n
Under the desert and Tempe airport lights, the Red Raiders wasted no time bringing the heat. Less than five minutes in, Zdrojewski opened the scoring on a composed finish at the top of the box set up by Sam Courtwright. This gave Tech an early 1\u20130 lead, setting the tone for a high-tempo dominant Red Raider first half.<\/p>\n
Tech doubled its advantage in the 31st minute thanks to a moment of pure SORCERY from Macy Blackburn, who bent a low curling ball around the Sun Devil back line to the foot of Storie Sexton. The junior redirected it perfectly past the keeper for her first goal of the season, pushing the lead to 2\u20130. Blackburn, the assist goat that she is, could not have walked over and placed the ball on Sexton\u2019s foot any better. Chef\u2019s kiss.<\/p>\n
Halftime came however and Arizona State flew out of the break with an uppercut of their own. Bringing a high press and renewed energy, the Sun Devils flipped momentum with goals from Peyton Marcisz in the 50th minute and Sierra Bergen ten minutes later to even the score.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey came after us, they pressed us a little higher, they forced some turnovers, and at the same time, we got really hasty with the ball,\u201d Stone said. \u201cIt was not a good possession performance for us, but it was a gutsy play-to-the-finish-line performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goalkeeper Faith Nguyen delivered clutch stops as ASU pressed for the go-ahead, keeping the game level until Zdrojewski \u2014 once again \u2014 provided the answer. Off a late build-up involving Sexton and Molly Skurcenski, she hammered home her second goal of the night and 12th of the season, sealing the 3\u20132 victory. An upper-90 beaut that not even a full extension attempt from the Sun Devil keeper could touch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe came here to get three points, not a loss, not a draw\u201d Zdrojewski told the broadcast bluntly in the postgame. \u201cWe were on the attack and my teammates gave me good runs, and it opened up a window for me to take that shot to get us the lead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Z, as she is affectionately known, is fast becoming one of the best to ever do it at Texas Tech. Her head coach praised his striker\u2019s relentlessness and the team\u2019s toughness to finish the job even on a night it wasn\u2019t always pretty. Winners win. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe calmed down enough in the last ten minutes to create some real chances,\u201d said Stone. \u201cGet numbers in the box, get service and it gets to one of the best goal scorers we\u2019ve had through the years, and Z did what Z does, and thankfully bailed us out because we put ourselves in a pretty deep hole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next Up: AT Arizona Sunday 9\/19 2PM CT ESPN U <\/p>\n
In the end, Texas Tech out-shot Arizona State 21\u201310 and held 53 percent of possession. The win, while not always easy, was marked by equal parts skill and grit showing the Red Raiders\u2019 ability to get back up and finish the fight. They turn that same attitude to a short turn around matchup with Arizona in Tuscan on Sunday. An exciting national-TV opportunity for both teams that will be broadcast on ESPN U, first touch 2PM CT. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re thrilled with your team pulling off the win and scoring three goals, but you\u2019re disappointed the two you gave up,\u201d outlined Coach Stone. \u201cBut you turn your attention immediately to Sunday, and Arizona\u2019s a scrappy team, really well coached. They\u2019ve given us problems every year, so we don\u2019t expect anything less but another really tough game on the road, this time in Tucson.\u201c<\/p>\n
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