The TCU women’s soccer team, ranked No. 12 nationally, extended their unbeaten streak to eight games with an impressive 3-1 win over West Virginia on Thursday night at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. A thrilling second-half surge, led by goals from AJ Hennessey, Morgan Brown, and Maddie Mooney, secured the victory and kept the Horned Frogs’ dominant run alive.
After a tightly contested first half that ended scoreless despite TCU outshooting West Virginia 7-3, the Mountaineers took the lead early in the second half, scoring in the 51st minute. The Horned Frogs responded almost immediately, with AJ Hennessey equalizing just 25 seconds later. Hennessey’s goal was nothing short of spectacular—a strike from the top right of the box, set up by a pinpoint pass from Oli Pena. The goal was Hennessey’s third of the season and a statement to West Virginia that TCU was not backing down.
Six minutes later, it was Morgan Brown’s turn to shine. After a chaotic play in front of the net, Brown coolly collected a rebound and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, giving TCU a 2-1 lead. It was a milestone moment for Brown, marking her first-ever game-winning goal.
The final blow came in the 70th minute when Maddie Mooney put the game out of reach. A beautifully executed set piece began with a lob from Bella Diorio into the box, where Brown redirected the ball to Mooney, who converted for her first goal of the season. The goal capped off a brilliant team performance and demonstrated the Frogs' ability to capitalize on set pieces and maintain relentless pressure.
Head Coach Eric Bell praised his team's growing confidence, particularly as the younger players are starting to adapt to the college game. "When we move the ball around, it is pretty fun to watch and hard to deal with," Bell noted, highlighting the team’s fluidity and growing chemistry.
The stats back up TCU’s dominance. The Frogs fired off 21 shots to West Virginia’s 7, marking the 11th time this season that they’ve outshot their opponent. Standout performances included Diorio, who led the team with six shots, and Pena, whose playmaking prowess continued with her seventh assist of the season.
With this victory, TCU improves to 10-2-2 on the season and remains unbeaten in Big 12 play. Their next challenge is a home match against Arizona State on Sunday, which promises to be another thrilling encounter as the Horned Frogs look to continue their run of form.
