Behind goals from Yazmeen Ryan and Tijana Duricek, TCU beat the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks to propel themselves to first place in the Big 12 standings.

Goalie Emily Alvarado played lights out, tallying four saves to record her 18th career shutout.

“I thought we were able to get out on our front foot,” head coach Eric Bell said. “We developed tempo and had a good possession game which led to creating chances.

“We were able to score on a set-piece, but what I liked most about it is we battled to keep the ball in the box. Tijana Duricek was in the right place right time,” Bell added.

The Horned Frogs outshot the Jayhawks 10-3 in the first half and generated four corners. On the third corner, Kansas tried to clear the ball, but Duricek was there to score and give TCU a 1-0 lead.

Kansas came out strong in the second half, but TCU got an insurance goal, as Gracie Brian produced a beautiful heel touch to Ryan to make the score 2-0.

“In the second half, Kansas changed its shape to adjust to us,” Bell said. “We had to figure it out and it took time for everyone to find where they should be playing, but we did eventually. We were able to get the second goal. It was a fantastic goal by Yazmeen.”

TCU is now alone at the top of the Big 12 standings with a record of 5-0-1. 

“We are really proud of the group for handling everything 2020 has thrown at them,” Bell said. “They’ve just said bring it on. They’ve dealt with it in a classy fashion. They are very focused on doing something that has never been done at TCU – winning a conference championship.”

As they continue to pursue a Big 12 title, TCU will next travel to Manhattan to take on the Kansas State Wildcats. Kickoff is set for noon on Sunday, Oct. 25, and will be televised on ESPN+.