The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech
Soccer preview: vs. No. 18 Texas Tech [Nov. 5, 2014]
11.03.2014 | Soccer
Longhorns prep to face Red Raiders in Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.
Complete Match Notes | Big 12 Championship Central
Big 12 Championship Bracket | Big 12 Championship Ticket Info
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINAL: #18 Texas Tech (14-3-1, 4-3-1 Big 12) vs. Texas (10-7-2, 4-4-0 Big 12)
Time: Wednesday, Nov. 5 – 2 p.m. CT
Location: Kansas City, Mo. (Swope Soccer Village/1,500)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Television: The match will be broadcast live on the Big 12 Digital Network at Big12Sports.com with Lincoln Rose on the call. CLICK FOR LINK
Radio: None
All-Time Series: Texas won this year's meeting against Texas Tech (1-0) back on Sept. 26 to improve its 13-6-3 overall series advantage. The last nine match-ups between the two squads have been either ties or settled by one goal with UT leading over that stretch, 4-3-2. In the only previous neutral site meeting at the Big 12 Championship, Texas topped TTU (1-0) in San Antonio, Texas, in 2011
Free Kicks:
- Texas had three players named to the various All-Big 12 teams prior to the start of the Big 12 Championship. Junior goalkeeper Abby Smith was tabbed to the first team, her third consecutive Big 12 accolade after second team nods in 2012 & 2013. Senior midfielder Sharis Lachappelle followed up two previous selections (2012 - 2nd; 2013 - 1st) with another second team inclusion, while freshman forward Olivia Brook was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. Texas has boasted at least three players on the all-league teams in each of the last five seasons and for 13 of the last 14 years.
- Texas has appeared in every Big 12 Championship dating back to the 1996 season (18 appearances) and owns a 13-15-4 overall record with two titles (2006, 2007). UT is 9-8-1 all-time in its opening round matches and is 1-1-1 in such matches, with a 2012 semifinal appearance, since the arrival of Angela Kelly to take over the program prior to the 2012 campaign. Against Wednesday's opponent Texas Tech at the Big 12 Championship, the Longhorns are 1-0-0 after a 1-0 victory over the Red Raiders in San Antonio, Texas, back in 2011 (see pages 7 & 8 of these notes for more Texas Big 12 Championship info).
- With ties in the Big 12 Championship settled through the use of penalty kicks, Texas has to feel pretty confident if forced into that situation. UT has been sent to the spot four times in 2014 and has scored successfully on all four of those spot kicks. Brooke Gilbert finished one each in wins over Texas A&M-CC and Montana, Sharis Lachappelle blasted a PK home against UALR and Lindsey Meyer tucked one into the net against Oklahoma State. The last time the Horns went to penalties in the postseason was during a 0-0 (2OT) tie against TCU in the 2012 Big 12 Championship, falling 4-2 on spot kicks. UT has won three of its four all-time PK sessions in the league event (2006, two in 2007, 2012).
- Junior goalkeeper Abby Smith had quite a night in the 2-1 loss to Oklahoma State on Halloween. The Plano, Texas, native set a new personal single-match career-high with 10 saves and now possesses 81 for the season, good for ninth in stops on the all-time Texas single-season list.
- So far this year, Texas is an impressive 10-2-1 in matches where it scores at least one goal, including five one-goal victories (at Hawaii - 2-1; vs. #6 Texas Tech - 1-0 OT; at Iowa State - 1-0; at Oklahoma - 1-0; at Baylor - 2-1). The only blemishes out of those 12 occurrences were a 2-2 tie against Arizona State (Aug. 22), a 3-1 loss at TCU (Oct. 17) and a 2-1 loss to Oklahoma State (Oct. 31).
- Looking at records (as of 11/3), Texas has played 19 teams that have combined to post a 195-121-35 overall record (a .605 winning percentage) thus far in 2014. As of Nov. 3, the NCAA rated UT's slate as the NINTH-toughest schedule by percentage in Division I and second toughest in the Big 12, behind Oklahoma State (.638). Fourteen of those 19 teams possess winning records, while two of those squads (UCLA & West Virginia) have lost two or fewer matches.
