The TCU women’s soccer team kept their non-conference schedule rolling this weekend with a 2-2 tie in double overtime against the University of Houston and a 4-3 win over Northwestern State University.
Friday night, TCU played the University of Houston. TCU senior defender Cheryl Martin said TCU was not intimidated by Houston’s 3-1 record before Friday, and said thought it was definitely a winnable game.
Neither team took control of the game until TCU netted the first goal. With 30 minutes left in the first half, Martin found an open net and scored the Horned Frogs’ first goal. TCU remained on the offensive attack for the majority of the first half, but Houston found a way to get a goal of their own.
Houston’s Courtney Peacock took a pass and clipped the ball over the head of TCU goalie Kira Michelson-Bartlett to make the score 1-1.
Tied 1-1 at half, TCU came out ready to go with nine shots on goal in the second half. But it took until midway through the second half for a point to show up on the scoreboard. Junior midfielder Alex Mechalske got a shot to go in right under the crossbar after a quick move to get away from a defender. The goal was her second of the season.
TCU held onto its lead until 16 and a half minutes left in the game. Houston took a corner kick from the right side and Nicole Duarte knocked in a header. After the play both teams had game-winning shot opportunities, including a buzzer-beating shot by TCU, but no one could cash in.
TCU had to transition quickly from the game against Houston as they headed to Natchitoches, La. to take on Northwestern State on Sunday. The Horned Frogs took away a few key things from the tie against Houston. The game gave TCU an opportunity to see some things they needed to work on and also some things that they did well, TCU Head Coach Dan Abdalla said.
“We did a good job of using our outsides and being able to get around and stretch their back line,” Abdalla said. “I thought we gave away way too many balls where we got countered and every time we’d go forward the balls coming right back at us.”
Bartlett said the team saw that they had a personal challenge to overcome as they faced Northwestern State.
“Our biggest challenge is our mental block at this point,” Bartlett said. “We need to focus and bring it together and work as a team.”
Northwestern State came out and took a commanding 3-1 lead, but TCU forward and sophomore Kristen Halverson put one away with 40 seconds left in the first half to make it 3-2. Two minutes into the second half, junior forward Jordan Calhoun made it 3-3. Junior midfielder Kaylie Garcia scored with ten minutes left to take a 4-3 lead that TCU never lost. Following the weekend’s games, the Horned Frogs improved their record to 3-2-1. TCU returns home Sunday to face Oklahoma State University at 1 p.m. in the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.