Despite a late comeback effort, No. 8 TCU couldn’t catch up to a strong start by Baylor on Sunday, falling 1-2 at home to the Bears for TCU’s second loss in three games.
The Horned Frogs were in control of the ball for most of the game, but they could not cash in on early looks at scoring and fell into a 2-0 deficit just after the midway point courtesy of goals by Baylor in the 13th and 50th minutes.
TCU fought to get back into the game and gave itself a chance with a goal from junior Grace Collins in the 84th minute, but it was not enough, giving Baylor the 2-1 road victory.
The Frogs dominated possession early in the game but failed to find the back of the net.
“We weren’t dangerous enough,” coach Eric Bell said. “We didn’t create enough goal-scoring opportunities, and if we did, we didn’t hit the target. We didn’t make the goalkeeper make saves.”
The first clear opportunity came in the 4th minute when senior midfielder Payton Crews ventured into the box and squared the ball to senior forward Messiah Bright, who missed the tap in.
Nine minutes later, senior midfielder Taylor Moon had the first shot of the afternoon for Baylor, and with a little bit of luck, managed to open up the score.
Moonstruck from outside the box and the ball deflected off of first-year defender Brenna Brosam to sneak past sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Kellett, who was going the opposite direction.
Despite the early goal, TCU continued to control the ball, preventing Baylor from getting any more momentum for the rest of the first half.
In the 50th minute, though, a cross deflected by the TCU defense found junior forward Elizabeth Kooiman in the left side of the box. With her left foot, Kooiman shot over Kellett and put the ball in the upper-right corner to double the lead for Baylor.
TCU responded by pushing its lines forward in an attempt to get back in the game. Bright, Collins, and senior midfielder Payton Crews all tried their luck but were not able to find the target.
With six minutes left in the game, Collins crossed a ball into the box and it hit the arm of graduate defender Sarah Norman, earning the Frogs a penalty kick that Collins herself would convert.
TCU was not giving up just yet, with multiple chances to tie the game.
First, it was Collins with a shot from slightly inside the box that went high, but it was the next shot sucked the air out of the stadium.
In the 89th minute, first-year forward Camryn Lancaster found space to shoot from distance and hit the bottom of the crossbar. The ball bounced but it was unclear if it went past the goal line before graduate keeper Jennifer Wandt corralled it. Both teams looked at the officials pleading their case but referee Corey Rockwell did not award the goal.
“At the end of the day, I told them it doesn’t matter about this or that, the ball going over the line or it didn’t. We just gotta figure out a way to win,” Bell said.
The Frogs outshot the Lady Bears 21-9, but TCU was not able to find the equalizer.
TCU will go back on the road to face Texas on Thursday. The Longhorns will be coming off a 4-3 overtime victory against Oklahoma. The kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted on The Longhorn Network.
