TCU Women's Soccer Dominates BYU in Commanding 4-1 Win
The TCU women’s soccer team delivered a resounding 4-1 victory over BYU on Thursday night, marking a standout performance in front of their home crowd at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium. With key contributions from veteran players and fresh faces alike, the Horned Frogs moved to 6-2-1 on the season in a match filled with excitement and significant firsts.
Despite falling behind early to a BYU goal in the 19th minute, TCU quickly found their rhythm. After BYU's strike, the Frogs didn't hesitate to respond. AJ Hennessey launched the first TCU shot shortly after but couldn’t get past the Cougar goalkeeper.
However, TCU’s breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Hennessey drew a crucial foul inside the box, setting up Seven Castain to convert a penalty kick. Castain, a constant offensive threat, netted her fifth goal of the season and kept her streak alive against BYU, having scored in their last two matchups.
The first half was far from over. Just before the break, Caroline Kelly stepped up, scoring a game-winner in the 43rd minute off an impeccable header from a well-placed ball by Cameron Patton. It was Kelly’s second game-winning goal of the season, giving TCU a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
Kelly wasn’t done yet. Early in the second half, she capitalized on TCU’s second penalty of the game, calmly securing her brace in the 49th minute. This performance marked her first two-goal game as a Horned Frog, adding to an already impressive career tally of 35 goals.
TCU’s relentless pressure continued as they widened the gap to 3-1. In the 56th minute, Morgan Brown headed in a goal after a perfectly timed cross from Jordan Whiteaker off a corner kick, further dashing BYU’s hopes of a comeback. This goal marked Brown's first career goal, while both Patton and Whiteaker earned their first career assists.
The Frogs' defense remained solid throughout the match, limiting BYU to just three shots on target. Goalkeeper Megan Plaschko made a critical save, further ensuring that BYU didn’t get another foothold in the game.
Head Coach Eric Bell commended his team’s response after falling behind early.
"It was a good win against a quality opponent," Bell stated.
He highlighted the team's ability to regroup after a slow start, expressing relief that they learned this valuable lesson in a win rather than a loss.
With momentum on their side, the Horned Frogs will host Arizona this Sunday at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium. The match kicks off at 1 p.m. and will be available for viewing on ESPN+.
