The Frogs will take on fellow Big 12 newcomer West Virginia in their first conference game Friday.
The Mountaineers enter the game ranked no. 21 nationally and are riding a four-game win streak. Friday’s game marks the first ever meeting between the two teams.
Makenzie Koch, freshman center-midfielder, said it is nerve-wracking going up against new teams in a new conference but “we don’t really have anything to lose.” She said she believes the Frogs have the athletic ability to have a positive season.
Head coach Eric Bell said the team is going to need to sustain a level of competitiveness and mental toughness to get through the rest of the season.
The Frogs will look to bounce back against the Mountaineers after a loss in their last game. TCU went on the road and suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to the University of Denver last Friday. Junior forward Brittany Slyman scored the Frogs’ only goal in the second half.
Bell said the Frogs fought hard throughout the game but their efforts faltered once overtime began. He said he wants his team to take the loss as a learning experience and to use it as motivation moving forward.
Kelly Johnson, junior defender, said the Frogs need to work on adjusting to the offensive scheme of their opponents. She said the Frogs need to get better each week and play as a team for one another.
Koch said the Frogs are going to need to become more fluid with the ball. She said the team is going to need to make good decisions when in possession of the ball and capitalize on opportunities.
The team’s major issues are being addressed in practice, Johnson said. The team has already shown itself to have a quick learning curve, she said, and if the Frogs can continue that trend then the season can only get better.
The Frogs carry a 5-4-1 record into conference play, including a 3-3 mark at home. The Mountaineers are 6-3-3 on the season and opened Big 12 play last weekend with wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
The Frogs are 0-4 in conference openers after joining a new league. The team will try to break that trend in a 7 p.m. start Friday at Garvey-Rosenthal stadium.
