The University of Arizona soccer team suffered a 2-0 loss against No. 12 Texas Tech University on Sunday, Oct. 19, at noon at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium. This marks the Wildcats’ fifth consecutive loss.
First half
The Red Raiders came out hot in the first half, keeping a high pressure on Arizona’s back line. Wildcat Narissa Fults was able to drive down the left flank and find a cross early on in the match as well, ricocheting off of the Red Raiders’ defense and back into Texas Tech’s possession.
The Red Raiders continued to push into their final third, trying to create dangerous opportunities on goal. The Wildcats’ defense held strong and did not let any shots off for the first several looks. Arizona looked strong in these minutes, holding its own against ranked TTU.
In the ninth minute of play, freshman midfielder Raleigh Greason found the deep right corner of the net for the Red Raiders’ first goal of the match. A short lapse in the Wildcats’ defense caused this opening off a throw in, allowing Greason to turn and find a shot outside the box.
The Wildcats pressured back, moving the ball into their final third. Jessica Bedolla and Fults worked a give-and-go to allow Fults a shot at goal. The Red Raiders’ defense blocked the shot and gave Arizona a corner kick, maintaining play in their offensive end.
Greason continued to hit shots from outside the box, holding the Wildcats on their toes. Ella Hatteberg, outside back for the Wildcats, took an elbow to the face and had to leave the pitch, causing a shift in Arizona’s defense.
Olivia Ramey was strong in the goal for the Wildcats, making key saves in dangerous chances from the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech maintained a majority of possession unless slipping up and giving turnovers into the Wildcats’ feet. Fults hit the corner of the post on a slip-through ball from Trinity Dorsey, nearly securing an equalizer goal for Arizona.
As the Red Raiders continued to attack, the Wildcats’ defense did a good job in transition to keep Texas Tech from attacking. Junior Marissa Arnst was solid on the outside, clipping the ball away several times from Red Raiders’ feet. The Wildcats still looked for a goal to bring the match to a tie.
In transition, Red Raider Macy Blackburn drove the ball down the field to find Taylor Zdrojewski behind the defense where she slipped the ball past Ramey for Texas Tech’s second goal of the game.
This closed out the first half with the Red Raiders leading 2-0.
Second half
Opening the half, Arizona was able to hold the ball at their feet in an attempt to find an early goal to kickstart its offensive efforts. The Red Raiders’ defense kept the ball outside of the box and did not allow any shots off in these beginning moments. Fults tried getting crosses into the box but Texas Tech’s defense successfully cleared it.
Fults’ efforts didn’t stop there. She drove the ball down the entire field trying to get a shot and earned a corner for the team which ended up going out of bounds. Impressively, the Wildcats held possession for a majority of the early minutes in the second half. They earned several looks at the goal, eager to get on the board.
In counter attacks, the Red Raiders found risky shots on Ramey, causing her to make impressive saves in the goal.
The teams traded off possession, Arizona often getting stuck in the midfielder and causing turnovers in transition. Fults led the Wildcats’ offense, unable to find the netting to put Arizona back in the game.
As the game progressed, Arizona saw several substitutions from injuries and tried to shift its play into a connection that could result in a goal. The Wildcats’ stamina played into their advantage as they were able to continue to press in the heat of the day at Murphey Field.
Texas Tech’s chances at goal started to slow in the late minutes of the half, causing turnovers in center field. Maia Brown and Whitney Reinhardt’s defensive efforts were notable in both the defensive and midfield lines, putting the ball back into Arizona’s feet.
As the game came to a close, the Red Raiders saw a 2-0 win. Despite the loss, Arizona kept Texas Tech from finding any goals in the second half, a notable mark for the Wildcat team.
Looking ahead
Arizona soccer will prepare to host TCU on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at Murphey Field. Last season, the Wildcats suffered a 1-0 defeat to TCU in Texas, so they will be looking for a redemption win.
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