Sports am I right? Texas Tech lost a thrilling emotional rollercoaster late to BYU 2-1 on Friday night in Lubbock to narrowly miss out on winning their second consecutive Big 12 title. While they won't get the trophy, an impressive stretch for the program continues as the Red Raiders did secure the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 tournament and a top two Big 12 finish for the third consecutive season.
"We were undefeated in 27-straight Big 12 games so this one hurts. We're going to take this feeling of disappointment with us to Kansas City, the feeling of disappointment that we had the opportunity to win a trophy and let it slip away. That will be the emotional part of it. Now it's about what are we going to do about it? What's our response going to be? Are we going to cry all the way to Kansas City or are we going to come back tomorrow and get back to work. I think that the latter will be the case." Head Coach Tom Stone
The game started with an absolute fury of attacks from Texas Tech, you could see they had been rearing to get this underway all-day and nearly had a goal in the first minute of the match. In fact Texas Tech got off three shots in the first handful of minutes, two on goal and had multiple corners as well. The intensity was there, the fight was there. The finishing touch just was not but credit a BYU defender who made a save off the line on a Taylor Zdrojewski shot that got past the keeper 10 minutes in.
BYU pushed for some chances of their own to follow but the Red Raider backline was up to the task including a really pivotal deflection on a shot in the box that may have found the back of the net had Molly Skurcenski not gotten her leg to it. On Texas Tech's end Macy Blackburn had a free kick service that was mint but punched out by the BYU keeper. The rebound was gathered however and quickly followed by multiple other Texas Tech attacks including the freshman Alana Harry sending a shot just wide of frame.
It all culminated in THE moment of the first half. A foul just past midfield set the stage for Texas Tech's all-time leader in assists Macy Blackburn to send in a ball to the head of Taylor Zdrojewski for the games first goal and a 1-0 Red Raider lead with 5 minutes remaining in the half. A 2023 All-American, Blackburn is obviously a special player, but she was an extra bit of special all night and there is no one, NO ONE, in the country that could have served this up any better. Elite.
So nice you need both angles to appreciate it. Professional quality service and she did it all game. She is always great, but if this was "postseason Macy" coming out to play early, I cannot wait to see what is next from the RS-Junior. It was also her first full 90 match of the year as she has been fighting her way back from a late season ending injury in 2023. She emptied her tank and more.
Texas Tech went into the half with a 1-0 lead and typically that is a safe place to be for this stout defensive squad but anyone who knows BYU knew their offensive fire power wasn't going to go away quietly - and they did not. A tough foul right outside the box set the Cougars up for a free kick and Mckenzie Vance sent an upper 90, can't touch it shot in to tie it.
A tip your cap and just fight back goal which is exactly what Texas Tech did as they dang near took the lead right back only moments later. I do not care if it came in a loss, this play from a true freshman Alana Harry and a RS-Sophomore Taylor Zdrojewski should have every Red Raider doing a backflip about the future and it almost led to a goal as Peyton Parsons hit the post.
Let me say it again, that passing was a thing of beauty. Watch the Z no look backflick a million times and it won't be enough. If this goal had gone in, it would have been the NCAA goal of the week and potentially a game winner the way Texas Tech's defense likely would have settled in from there. Instead it hits the post just like multiple other shots from Texas Tech did in this game...one off each post from Zdrojewski and Parsons each and one off the crossbar from Giammetta.
"I'm not really sure I can remember a game where we hit the post, the crossbar twice and the other team cleared it off the line. And we didn't win. That's some unreal bad luck. The clearance off the line was going in. Then we hit the inside of the post and two cross bars. That's a lot to stomach. I don't think anything but those chances not going in were why we lost. If one of them goes in we're good because we've defended so well all year."
The "anything but" Coach Stone may be answering to in that quote was a string of tough calls that had many in John Walker up in arms, including this handball in the box that somehow went uncalled. Not only does it hit the BYU player clearly but it also seems as though she intentionally or instinctually stuck out her palm which makes the thing all the more egregious really. If called it would have given Texas Tech an opportunity to take a late lead on a PK.
But Coach Stone is absolutely correct, Texas Tech was plenty dangerous to win this regardless of this call or others. They showed their talent in attack right up until a ball off the frame or a sometimes antsy final touch sniped them at the end. As harsh as some of the calls may feel, they can build on the fact they had their chances despite some tough breaks and had they finished some of those chances in the first 10 minutes, or that goal from Parsons off the post, or another PERFECT service from Macy that found Harry free on the backside of goal, a late chance from Z that also hit the post.....the list goes on, any of those bounce their way and it was theirs regardless. Ultimately they didn't in this one though and after a tough sequence saw Zdrojewski bodychecked to the ground in the box with no call followed by a run out and eventual free kick for BYU - the Cougars stole the game in the final minutes of play for a 2-1 win.
"We have some things to address. We have to look at that second set piece and we need to look at why we're having so many glaring wide open chances that we're not converting offensively. And then we need to maybe look at our substitution patterns from a coaching standpoint. Maybe we could have gotten both outside backs off and they would have been fresher at the end. From a staff perspective we need to look at everything. But it's small tweaks now because it's too late to rebuild your whole team."
Of note on the rebuilding your team late in the year side, the team was once again forced to play without another key starter: midfielder Chloe Soto who was injured in the teams win on Sunday in Cincinnati. It felt like she was missed most in that second half when both teams were gassed and some breaks weren't going Texas Tech's way as that is typically where someone like Soto thrives with her ability to just out tough everyone on the field to create a spark. She's different in that way. That's the sport though and it was a what's next, who's next mentality like it has been all year for this team with Kate Leibel and Millie Elwood both stepping in to bring their own spice to the game. The highly skilled true freshman Elwood flashed her aggressiveness on a nice tackle, steal and offensive attack early and has the chance to be a really impactful player for this program moving forward with the help of experience in moments just like this.
"Kate Leibel played really well tonight as did Millie [Elwood], but we were missing Chloe [Soto] tonight. She's our enforcer through the middle of the field and we didn't have that today."
In the end, Texas Tech did bring the fight. They did the work, their passing was as slick at times as it has been all season and, once the pain of the moments that got away wears off, that is what you hope this team carries with it to Kansas City. If they sauce folks up the way they were throughout this one and clean up the finish they can still hoist that Big 12 Championship Trophy - it will just be the postseason variety instead of a second consecutive regular season title that they came oh so close to clinching Friday night. Maybe the soccer gods just wanted them to diversify the trophy room a bit is all?
On to the next it is with the Big 12 Tournament at the home of the NWSL's Kansas City Current, CPKC Stadium. First up will be a game versus the winner of Arizona and Baylor on November 2nd at 5:30 pm. Game will be televised on ESPN+. WE FIGHT!