FORT WORTH, Texas – In a tough and physical matchup, the TCU women’s soccer program dropped a 2-0 decision to Missouri Sunday in front of a crowd of 1,469 spectators at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. 

"I was proud of the effort our kids put in,” TCU head coach Dan Abdalla said. “Missouri is a very good team and there is a reason they are 5-1. As a coaching staff, we challenged our team to come out and battle and to be more aggressive offensively, and I thought that with very little preparation, we created enough chances to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”

 

"I give our back line a heck of a lot of credit, because I thought organizationally, defensively, that we did a great job,” Abdalla said. “We just had two little blunders and until they got the second goal, we did a great job keeping them in front and not giving them anything. Late in the game, when we're chasing and trying to press things, it got a little bit frantic, but for the majority of the game I was extremely happy with how our whole team handled their pace."

With the winds gusty up to 30 miles per hour, the Tigers edged out TCU in the shooting spree, 19-16. The Horned Frogs had opportunities to light up the scoreboard, but Missouri’s backline and goalkeeper kept the Purple and White scoreless. Junior Monica Alvarado paced TCU with four shots total, while sophomore Brittany Slyman tallied two of her three strikes on goal.

The Frogs jumped out with an aggressive approach to begin the game, as Slyman landed a shot into the Missouri goalkeepers’ grasp within the first two minutes. Missouri would counter with a couple of shot attempts of their own, only to find TCU freshman goalkeeper Alicen Wright in position to make the saves.

 

The Tigers found the back of the net early in the first half, as forward Abi Raymer pushed the ball up to catch Alyssa Diggs on a breakaway towards the TCU goal. Diggs moved pass the Frogs’ backline and launched a shot from about 20 yards out at the top box. The goal was her third of the young season and put Missouri up early, 1-0.

 

Diggs would find herself in scoring position again minutes later, but her high shot was poked over the goal by Wright. After the tremendous save, TCU would push the ball downfield to Slyman for a shot and a save by Missouri. Keeping the ball on the Tigers’ side of the field, senior Kristen Halverson had a shot on goal, but again, the Frogs were turned away.

 

Alvarado had a chance to knot the match up at 1-1, screaming a header just of the top of the goal in the 25th minute. The Southlake, Texas native had a couple more scoring opportunities at the end of the half, but both missed the mark. Inside two minutes to play in the frame, sophomore Ashley Jones had the ball fall into her lap at the top of the box and took an open shot on the Tigers’ keeper, but her strike soared over the goal.

 

TCU had the best scoring chance of the evening go by at the beginning of the second half. Freshman Tori Hale received the ball in the box, only to have her shot blocked by a Missouri defender. The deflected ball ended up at the feet of Slyman, but the Frisco, Texas product pushed her close-range attempt wide of the net. Minutes later, senior Jordan Calhoun laced a shot attempt wide of the goal. Calhoun made her first appearance since the season opener at Oklahoma State.

 

The Tigers’ second goal of the day came from Raymer again, sending the ball up for forward Taylor Grant to dribble into the box and glance a shot past Wright into the right corner of the goal.

 

TCU will hit the road for three-straight matches, starting with Toledo (Sept. 9) and Hofstra (Sept. 11) as part of the Red Raider Classic in Lubbock, Texas. The Frogs will then head to Stephen F. Austin (Sept. 16), before hosting Northwestern State on Sept. 18.