RV/No. 16 Tech, RV/NR Pepperdine play to spirited 1-1 draw in front of record crowd
In front of a record crowd just shy of 3000 (2971), RV/No. 16 Texas Tech and RV Pepperdine battled to a spirited 1-1 draw Thursday night at the John Walker Soccer Complex.
Just four days after an impressive 2-0 win over Boise State that nearly broke the all-time attendance record at Walker, Texas Tech (2-0-2) showed its championship resolve equalizing just three minutes and 24 seconds after conceding for the first time in 2026, in front of the record-setting crowd that eclipsed the previous mark of 2558 set back in 2023 during the Round of 16 match against North Carolina.
After a back-and-forth first half that saw the teams trade haymakers, it was the nationally-ranked Red Raiders that owned first 20 minutes of the second half, nearly scoring on multiple occasions including off a beautiful one-two free kick play from Emma Torres and Millie Elwood, as well as a blast from distance by sophomore Raliegh Greason that just whizzed by the upper right-hand corner of the net in the 62nd.
With the score still deadlocked at zero, it was the visiting Waves (2-0-2) that broke the ice on a strong counter-attack goal and finish by freshman Kate Ryan.
After conceding its first goal of 2026, and thus trailing for the first time, Tech responded to adversity brilliantly, as beginning with a 78th minute shot from Kaitlyn Giametta was saved by Pepperdine’s Jillian Medvecky the Red Raiders took the final four shots of the match and 13 of the 15 shots in the second half.
In her first start since suffering a season-ending knee injury last Aug. 14 at San Diego State, Giametta played a season-high 57 minutes and tallied three shots, two of which were on frame.
Continuing to buzz, the Red Raiders used a perfect run and cross from Torres to a streaking Zdrojewski for the equalizer.
The header goal was Zdrojewski’s 29th career and points 65 and 66 on her storied career, The strike moved her out of a tie with former teammate Macy Blackburn and into solo sixth on the Red Raiders points list. Zdrojewski needs just 12 more points to move into a tie for fifth on the point list with Kristi Patterson and needs just one more goal to tie Patterson for fifth on the goals list.
Armed with the equalizer, the Red Raiders continued to push toward a second, and eventual game-winner, coming close multiple times including in the waning seconds of the 84th minute when a rising Giametta blast was punched wide by Medvecky and out for one of the 10 Red Raider corners on the evening.
The chance by Giametta and an 85th minute blast by defender Kylie Bahr were two of the final official shots for the Red Raiders on the night.
Tech’s last chance of the contest came deep in the 89th minute when Zdrojewski muscled through the Pepperdine backline before being denied by a pair of Waves challenges that resulted in the 10th and final corner being awarded with just 44 seconds left.
Going to the monitor for a potential PK VAR review, the contact was deemed legal and Tech settled for corner kick.
The ensuing corner fell to center back Eleanor Hays whose attempt toward goal fell wide and ended in a Pepperdine goal kick.
Tech’s chance with 25 seconds to play was the final of the night as the teams settled for a 1-1 draw.
With the stalemate, the Red Raiders did extend their overall unbeaten streak to nine (4-0-5) since last October’s setback at No. 22/7 Colorado (Oct. 23).
Despite seeing its 16-match home non-conference winning streak snapped, the Red Raider did extend their home non-conference unbeaten streak (16-0-2) to 18. That streak dates back to an Aug. 21st 1-0 loss to Arizona.
Denied of the 125th all-time win at Walker, the Red Raiders also were denied a 49th win since the start of the 2023 season and the 29th win at Ft. Walker over that same span.
With tonight’s draw the Red Raiders see their home mark pushed to 28-2-6 (.861) since the installation of the natural grass surface in 2023 and to 25-1-5 (.887) at home during the regular season over the same stretch.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders make the short trip east to Dallas for a Thursday night clash with RV SMU. First touch from Highland Park is set for 7 p.m.
Release provided by Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics