TCU extended its undefeated streak on Thursday after the Horned Frogs defeated Kansas at Garvey Rosenthal Soccer Stadium 1-0.

The Frogs commanded the first half, controlling the possessions and taking the initiative. Head coach Eric Bell’s team remained loyal to its style, building up from the back and pressing for the steal.

Can confirm that @graciemaria0010 has the JUICE 😤#FIGHT | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/dEvbCABxWS

— TCU Soccer (@TCUSoccer) October 6, 2023

The constant pressure was the key to victory for the Frogs. Late in the first half, Zoe Calyer intercepted a pass and passed it to Skylar Heinrich who assisted Gracie Brian.

Brian, sprinting past defenders, shot it to the bottom right corner of the net. The graduate student scored her sixth goal of the year and the 32nd of her career and put the Frogs ahead after a well-played first period.

“I thought the first half was really, really good,” Bell said. “We controlled the tempo of the game for most of the first half. In the second half, things got a little more hairy as they started to press us and turning it into a bit of a track meet.”

The second half was more of the same, but the Jayhawks progressively started pressing and moving downfield. The Frogs had more opportunities, but were not able to score.

Even though the Jayhawks improved in the second period, the TCU midfielders limited their chances to score. The Frogs managed to keep the lead and win 1-0. The Frogs are still second according to Big 12 rankings.

Bell spoke about Oli Pena and Lauren Memoly, who have been vital components to the six-game win streak started on Sept. 17 against Stephan F. Austin.

“They are both magnificent on the ball,” Bell said. “They both fight and have big engines and can cover a lot of ground over a long period of time. Oli is probably the best holding midfielder in the league.”

“Memoly is coming into her own,” added Bell. “It’s really nice to see a kid who really didn’t play a whole lot her first two years, one that we had high hopes for, and now she’s really dominating games.”

Up Next
No. 23 TCU travels to Lubbock, Texas on Sunday to take on No. 7 Texas Tech in a battle for first place in the Big 12. The game is set to start at 1 p.m. and will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.