FORT WORTH, Texas -- The TCU women's soccer program had to battle through triple-digit temperatures to shutout Lamar, 2-0, in a midday non-conference showdown Sunday. The Horned Frogs improved to 1-1-0 for the 2011 season in front of a crowd of 1,459 spectators at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

“I thought Lamar was extremely disciplined defensively, so it made it a difficult game as we tried to break it down,” TCU head coach Dan Abdalla said. “I was very happy with the way that we came out in the second half. We were a lot more patient and we were able to use the width of the field more. Both of our goals came from balls that started out wide and I think that will give us more confidence as we move forward. I was happy to see that we had some different individuals step up for us today.”

For the game, TCU outshot the Cardinals, 16-10, firing away for nine attempts in the second period. Freshman Tori Hale led the charge for the second-straight game, launching six shots for the match, followed by four Frogs with two shots apiece. The Frogs also earned the advantage from the corner, claiming seven corner kick attempts, while Lamar had two sets.   

The two teams traded possessions in the first half without much success. Hale had a chance to get the Frogs on the board midway through the period, but her header went just over the crossbar. TCU managed to get a couple of corner kicks near the end of the half, but came up empty.

After the break, the Frogs stormed back into the heat with more confidence, lining up several shots on Lamar goalkeeper Jennifer Gibbs. Hale had the first opportunity of the period go wide, but the Frogs didn’t stay down long.

After TCU earned a corner kick, sophomore Brittany Slyman sent the ball into a box full of players, only to find an awaiting junior Monica Alvarado, who dished it to the top of the box to an open Natalie Werner. The freshman from Lake Forest, Calif., blasted a straight-on shot that passed the LU keeper and give the Frogs the 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute. The goal was the first of the season for the freshman and the program in 2011.

Once the Purple and White go on top, it became a possession game with TCU keeping the ball on the Cardinals’ side of the field. The Frogs continued to put shots on goal, as seniors Kristen Halverson and Katie Taylor each lined up to fire shots between the pipes.

Later in the period, TCU sophomore Kristen Barg worked the ball to the outside of the box, keeping possession away from the Cardinals and begging the defense to come out to play the ball. Once the LU defender sucked in, Barg sent a perfect pass in to sophomore Brooke Kviz and the Keller, Texas native handled the rest, heading the ball to the far post from the left side and putting TCU up 2-0 with 8:23 remaining in the match.

“We got two great goals from Natalie and Brooke and they were set up well,” Abdalla said. “Overall, I was pleased with the effort. Sundays are always going to be tough games. Hopefully, we can continue to dictate the style of play and we will do well on Sundays from here on out.”

Freshman goalkeeper Alicen Wright was solid for the second-straight outing, registering six saves for the day to post her first career shutout. The Chino Hills, Calif., native became the first newcomer to blank an opponent since Kelsey Walters shutdown Utah in 2007.

The Horned Frogs will now prepare to host Rice Friday at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The match is set to start at 7 p.m.

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