The Horned Frogs recorded their fourth overtime victory of the season, a 1-0 victory against Iowa State, with a goal from freshman midfielder Yazmeen Ryan in the 98th minute of Thursday night’s match in Ames, Iowa.
The Frogs dominated the match from the opening touch, but weren’t able to capitalize on any opportunities until extra time.
Junior forward McKenzie Oliver fired off a game-high six shots in the match, including a bullet in the 34th minute that was saved by the Cyclones’ goalkeeper Antonia Reyes. Oliver was found alone in front of the net, but her shot was read well and saved.
The Frogs continued to put pressure on the Cyclones in the second half, ripping off 13 shots on goal. Iowa State consistently put bodies in front of shots with seven of TCU’s 13 second-half shots being blocked by Iowa State defenders.
The Horned Frogs finally broke through in the 98th minute. Oliver created the goal, finding Ryan streaking down the sideline, placing the ball perfectly in Ryan’s shooting motion that carried the ball to the top corner of the net to defeat the Cyclones.
The goal was Ryan’s fourth career goal and second career game-winner. Oliver recorded her fourth assist of the season and seventh of her career in the 98th minute.
Following the match, head coach Eric Bell was satisfied with the team’s performance and the opportunities the Frogs were able to make, even though only one found the back of the net.
“I thought we played really well,” Bell said. “We created a bunch of chances that didn’t show up in the stat sheet. They blocked a lot that would have been on frame, so credit to them. We generated a lot of opportunities on our corners and set pieces.”
Most importantly, Bell was very proud of the defensive effort on the night. The Frogs limited Iowa State to only one shot on goal in the match, a total of four on the night, which was easily found by sophomore goalkeeper Katie Lund, who tallied her tenth complete-game shutout of her career.
“Most important, we didn’t give them anything; nothing dangerous,” Bell said. “I thought we did really well defensively. I am proud of our group. We are creating chances and not giving up a lot.”
Bell said the current mentality of the team is strong because of their ability to win games in the late stages or in overtime.
The win pushes the Frogs to 11-4-1 on the season and 4-0-1 in overtime matches. The Frogs will conclude their final road trip of the regular season Sunday afternoon against No. 8 West Virginia in Morgantown. Kickoff against the Mountaineers is set for noon.