Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a very safe and happy holiday season!

Soccer honored by NSCAA

Senior Lizzy Karoly and junior Jackie Torda were honored on Friday by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as members of the honorable mention NSCAA Division I Scholar All-South Region team.
The TCU women's soccer program also received word that for the fourth-consecutive year the squad was recognized with the NSCAA Team Academic Award.

Torda, who was named second team all-conference this fall, netted four goals on the season, while dishing out one assist. The junior led the TCU offensive attack during conference play, ranking in the top 10 in four different offensive categories. She netted two of the Horned Frogs three goals, including the game-winner in a 3-2 overtime victory at UNLV on Oct. 23 to earn Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Karoly, who earlier this fall earned second-team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honors, scored five goals, while dishing out one assist in 2009 to become TCU's all-time leader in goals scored for a career. Overall, she recorded a total of 37 shot attempts over the course of the season, while closing her career ranked in the top 10 in the conference in points-per-game, goals and goals-per-game.

TCU was one of 335 universities to receive the academic award.

To be eligible for the NSCAA Team Academic Award a team must have a team GPA of at least 3.0 for the 2008-09 academic year.

BASEBALL RANKED IN PRE-SEASON TOP 20!

With the first semester over, the Horned Frog football team preparing for the Fiesta Bowl, the men's and women's basketball teams in full swing, and Christmas fast approaching....its never to early to think about the Spring and TCU Baseball.

The TCU baseball team finds themselves ranked in the Top 20 of the first two preseason polls to be released this year. Collegiate Baseball has the Horned Frogs ranked No. 15, while Ping!Baseball.com has tabbed the Frogs No. 19.

TCU is coming off its most successful season in school history and finished the 2009 campaign ranked as high as No. 11. They return 18 letterwinners from last year's 40-18 squad and brought in the nation's fourth-ranked recruiting class. All-conference members Bryan Holaday, Taylor Featherston and Trent Appleby anchor the Frogs' roster.

The Frogs will open the 2010 season at home on Feb. 19 against 2009 NCAA Regional qualifier, Sam Houston State. First pitch for the 2010 season-opener is set for 6:30 p.m. at Lupton Stadium.

TCU Home to All-Americans

SI.com has announced TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes and center Jake Kirkpatrick as first-team All-Americans with quarterback Andy Dalton and offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse receiving honorable-mention accolades. Linebacker Tanner Brock has received second-team Freshman All-America honors from Phil Steele's College Football Preview.

TCU and Alabama are the only schools with more than one first-team selections.

Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski has announced TCU's Gary Patterson as the 2009 recipient of the George Munger Award, recognizing college football's National Coach of the Year.

A trio of Horned Frog became the first-ever All-Americans as they were tabbed honorable mention selections by the AVCA on Wednesday. Kourtney Edwards, Megan Munce and Christy Hudson added to their postseason honors.

Jane Justin Fieldhouse Construction Begins

Jane and John Justin Foundation provide the largest gift ever at TCU geared solely for women's athletics

The Jane Justin Fieldhouse will be approximately 5,000 square feet and include home and visitor locker rooms, an officials locker room, a training room, offices, lounge area and wrap-around raised viewing terrace.

"This is an important piece for our program in what is now one of the best soccer venues in the country and not just at the collegiate level," TCU women's soccer head coach Dan Abdalla said. "More importantly, our student-athletes will benefit greatly from the facility and are excited to move in next year."

The completion date of the Jane Justin Fieldhouse is June 2010

The first day of construction has begun on the newest addition to the beautiful Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium at TCU; the Jane Justin Field-house construction is under way. There will be weekly updates with photos so the progression on the building can be viewed by all.

Fiesta Bowl Bound

TCU and Boise State to meet in a battle of undefeated teams

The third-ranked TCU football team will make its first appearance in a BCS game when it faces No. 6 Boise State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4 in Glendale, Ariz.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MST at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game will be televised on FOX.

The Horned Frogs (12-0), who own the nation's second-longest current winning streak at 14 in a row, will be making their 11th bowl appearance in the last 12 seasons. TCU has won its last four bowl games and is one of just seven programs nationally to have a current bowl winning streak of at least four in row.

The 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will mark the 25th bowl appearance in TCU's history. The Horned Frogs are 11-12-1 in bowl games.

TCU is 7-3 in bowl games with head coach Gary Patterson on its coaching staff and 5-3 with him as head coach. Prior to Patterson's arrival on campus in 1998, the Horned Frogs had just four bowl wins in their history.

"We are excited about going to the Fiesta Bowl and playing a Boise State team that has a great program," Patterson said. "I owe this to my team because of the way they played this season.

"We never backed down and I'm excited for us. We've been close many times. To be here, with this great TCU crowd, it is very special to our seniors and our football team. They won a Mountain West Conference championship and now they are going to a BCS bowl. I am very happy for them."

It's the first time TCU has played in a bowl game with the two teams having a combined ranking this high since the 1938 Sugar Bowl, when the top-ranked Horned Frogs defeated No. 5 Carnegie Tech, 15-7, to win the national championship. The Frogs are 5-4-1 when playing a bowl game with both teams ranked.

Christmas Time at TCU

Today at TCU, we saw snow for the first time this holiday season. Nice big flakes fell for an hour making the Campus Commons setup look even nicer. Here is a short video of the Campus Commons with the big Christmas Tree and ice skating rink.
Happy Holidays from the TCU Soccer Program.

TCU Completes Perfect Regular Season, Earns MWC Title

The Horned Frogs (12-0, 8-0) wrapped up their first undefeated regular season in 71 years.

Bring on any opponent for TCU. The undefeated Horned Frogs are going to bust into the BCS for the first time. The only question left is where are they headed and who will they play.

"We can play with anybody," coach Gary Patterson said after TCU wrapped its first undefeated regular season in 71 years. "We're going to look forward to the challenge, we'll find out what that's going to be and we're going to get ready for it. ... This team can play with a lot of people, and not just this year."

Hard to argue after the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs improved to 12-0 with a 51-10 victory over New Mexico on Saturday--their seventh straight win by at least 27 points, a stretch including BYU and Utah, last year's BCS buster.

While there should be no question about if TCU (12-0, 8-0 Mountain West Conference) will be part of the Bowl Championship Series, the Frogs have to wait another week to make travel plans.

Representatives from the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls were in attendance.

Volleyball going to 1st-ever NCAA Tournament Appearance

The TCU volleyball team earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA tournament. The field of 64 was announced Sunday afternoon. The Horned Frogs will travel to Austin and play Rice in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

"TCU volleyball is so thankful for the boosters, administrators, fans and families that came out to support to see us get our first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament," said head coach Prentice Lewis. "We have had a fantastic season and we look forward to participating in our first NCAA Tournament.

"I am so proud of this team that pushed the extra mile in every set and every match to come out on top. They are fighters and it's a group I would always want to go to battle with."

TCU makes its NCAA tournament debut in the Austin Regional. The host school, Texas, is the No. 2 national seed and it will play Texas State in the opening round.

The Horned Frogs are coming off their most successful season in school history with an overall record of 26-6. Picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West, the Frogs exceeded expectations to the tune of a 13-3 record in league play to finish in second place. The Frogs are 9-1 in their last 10 games and 12-1 in their last 13. Four Frogs earned all-conference accolades in Kourtney Edwards, Christy Hudson, Katelyn Blackwood and Megan Munce, who earned Setter of the Year honors.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish all of you a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this day with your family and friends! Thank you for all you do for TCU Soccer. Go FROGS!

Picture of Football Pre-Game

ESPN GAMEDAY at TCU

If you didn't get the chance to see what it was like on campus today with ESPN College Gameday, here you go:

ESPN College GameDay Coming To TCU

ESPN College GameDay will make its first-ever visit to TCU and Fort Worth Saturday when the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs host No. 14 Utah. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
ESPN's popular show, featuring hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, will set up in the Campus Commons. Air time is 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

TCU will be playing at the site of GameDay for the second time in four weeks. GameDay was in Provo, Utah, on Oct. 24 when TCU defeated BYU 38-7.

With GameDay's visit to Air Force this past weekend, this will be the third time in four weeks the show has taken place at a Mountain West Conference member.

Frogs head to MWC Tournament

The TCU women's soccer team will open the 2009 MWC Women's Soccer Championship on Wednesday against Utah.
Start time for the match against the Utes is set for 1 p.m. CT at BYU's South Stadium. TCU, who is the No. 6 seed, closed its regular season with a 9-9-0 overall record, including a 2-5-0 record in the MWC.

The conference tournament will take place Nov. 4-7 at South Stadium on the campus of BYU in Provo, Utah. The opening match will see No. 3 Utah vs. No. 6 TCU at 1 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The other Wednesday match will include No. 4 seed New Mexico vs. No. 5 seed Wyoming at 4 p.m. CT. No. 1 seed BYU and No. 2 seed San Diego State will have first-round byes and will play in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 5. The Aztecs will play the winner of the Utes and Horned Frogs.

The Mountain West Conference Women's Soccer Championship title match is slated for 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 7, with the winner earning an automatic bid into the 2009 NCAA Women's College Cup.

The Mtn. - MountainWest Sports Network will air Thursday's semifinals live at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. CT. The championship game, scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 7, will be streamed live on The Mtn.'s Web site (www.themtn.tv) and air on the linear network via same-day tape delay at 1 a.m. CT. It will also be re-broadcast at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 8. The tandem of Bill Riley and Mark Rogondino will call all games on Nov. 5 and 7. Marius Payton and Bill Doleman, along with guest analyst Brian Crookham, will also provide a breakdown of Thursday's semifinal games from the studio. Wednesday's first-round games will also be streamed live on BYU's Web site (www.byucougars.com).

Karoly Named Academic All-District

Lizzy Karoly was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team on Friday.

Karoly, an Escondido, Calif., native, earned second-team honors after netting five goals, while dishing out one assist in 2009. The senior's selection to the All-District VI Team marks the second-consecutive season in which she has earned Academic All-District accolades. Earlier this fall, Karoly became TCU's all-time leader in goals scored for a career.

Post Season Play For the Second Straight Year

We qualified for post season play for the second consecutive year and will face Utah Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

Torda gets Conference Honors

Junior Jackie Torda was honored on Monday as the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Torda, a Colleyville native, netted the game-winning goal in TCU's 3-2 overtime victory at UNLV last weekend. On the play, Michelle Nguyen played a ball into the box to Torda who slid past a UNLV defender to toe the ball into the back of the net in the 98th minute. Earlier in the match, Torda put the Frogs on the board in the 36th minute, drilling a shot from 30 yards out into the upper half of the goal over the outstretched arms of UNLV goalkeeper Alicia Lugo.

With her two-goal outing, Torda moved into No. 6 all-time in career goals with 18 for her career.

TCU will close its regular season this Friday night against San Diego State. Start time for the match is set for 7 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

TCU Tops UNLV in Vegas

Jackie Torda, a junior from Colleyville, put the Frogs on the board in the 36th minute, drilling a shot from 25 yards out into the back of the net over the outstretched arms of Lugo. In the 46th minute, sophomore Kaitlyn Shelledy netted her first goal of the season off a cross from Michelle Nguyen. On the play, Nguyen took a pass on the left side of the field and played it across the box to a streaking Shelledy who dived in front of the net to head the ball past Lugo.

TCU missed on several scoring opportunities late in the match as several Frogs had opportunities to break the 2-2 score. Torda fired first at the goal, but her shot hit the crossbar in the 82nd minute. A few minutes into the overtime, sophomore Katie Taylor appeared to have secured the TCU victory off a pass from Katie Runyon, but she was called for offsides on the play to keep the score knotted at 2-2. Shelledy almost found the back of the net midway through the overtime, but her shot hit the crossbar.Torda put TCU ahead for good in the contest in the 98th minute and secured the Purple and White's ninth victory of the season.

Overall, the Frogs, who hit two crossbars in the match, totaled 13 shots, including two in overtime. Torda led the offensive attack with two goals on three shots, while Jordan Calhoun, Nguyen and Shelledy chipped in with two apiece. Kelsey Walters had a solid night between the posts, saving six balls.

With the win, TCU moved to 9-8-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the Mountain West, while UNLV dropped to 5-7-5 overall and 1-3-1 in the MWC. By defeating the Rebels, the Frogs moved one step closer to qualifying for the 2009 Mountain West Conference Championship in two weeks. The Purple and White will close regular season action next Friday night at home against San Diego State. Start time is set for 7 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

TCU newest Athletic Director

TCU today announced that it has hired Christopher Michael Del Conte as the new athletics director for the University. Del Conte, who has 19 years professional experience in intercollegiate athletics, is the director of intercollegiate athletics for Rice University.
During his tenure as director of intercollegiate athletics at Rice, Del Conte had responsibility for 16 intercollegiate programs, 350 student-athletes, along with coaches and staff. Del Conte also designed, developed and managed the Rice Vision for the Second Century Campaign, which has raised over $90 million to date. He secured significant funds to build athletic facilities such as the Tudor Fieldhouse and Youngkin Center for Student Athlete Excellence, and also raised $4 million for upgrades to the football stadium. Del Conte also secured a marketing sponsorship and broadcast rights contract for Rice and maintained a focus on student-athlete academic achievement, resulting in numerous public recognition awards from the NCAA for the academic progress rate of student-athletes.

"We conducted a thorough national search, reviewed numerous résumés and ultimately found a stellar professional with the expertise and background to continue guiding our athletic program toward excellence," said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. "Christopher has extensive experience and proven ability in collegiate athletics and academic administration. He has successfully served in leadership positions in athletic programs throughout the country and guided the development of strategic partnerships, negotiated and managed key contracts, advanced student-athlete academic achievement, and ensured that athletics remained integrated with the strategic direction of each university he served."

"I am thrilled to be appointed TCU's athletics director," said Del Conte. "Athletics plays a vital role in the entire university experience and as such, it must remain an integral part of TCU's strategic direction. Doing so enhances and supports not only the student-athlete experience but also the collegiate experience of all TCU students. This program enjoys invaluable community involvement and support, has a history of excellence steeped in tradition and continues building its reputation on a national level. I look forward to carrying forward the great momentum that is clearly visible throughout the TCU athletic program."

Prior to Rice, Del Conte was the senior associate athletics director for external operations and sports programs for the University of Arizona in Tucson. In that role, Del Conte had responsibility for the planning, management and oversight of the day-to-day operation for the department of intercollegiate athletics. He also functioned as the chief financial officer for the department; managed external operations; had oversight and management of all contracts, ticket sales, broadcast rights fees, corporate sponsorships, and trademarks and licensing; and oversight of all facility construction.

He has served on various professional committees and associations including the Division 1A Directors' Association and the National Association of Directors of Athletic Development.

Del Conte received a bachelor's of arts degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master's of education, administration and supervision, from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Del Conte is married to Dr. Robin Ward and has two children, ages 8 and 7.

TCU Drops Physical Match In Provo

TCU missed on several offensive chances on Saturday night, dropping a hard fought 2-0 decision to No. 11 BYU in front of 1,996 spectators at South Stadium.

The Horned Frogs, who continually pressured the No. 11 team in the country for most of the night, totaled 10 shots in a physical match in Provo, while claiming a 7-6 advantage in corner kicks in the contest. The Frogs, who's offensive attack found themselves deep in BYU territory many times, watched as one shot hit the post and Cougar keeper McKinzie Olson made a kick save midway through the second half to keep the Frogs off the board.

Calhoun, a sophomore from Norman, Okla, appeared to have scored from the left side of the field, but Olson made a kick save to keep the Frogs off the board. A few seconds later, Calhoun made a run into the Cougar defense, but her shot rocketed off the post.

With the loss, TCU moved to 8-8-0 on the year and 1-4-0 in the Mountain West Conference, while BYU improved to 13-2-2 and 4-0-1 in the MWC.

The Horned Frogs will next be in action at UNLV on Oct. 23. Start time for the match is set for 7 p.m. PT.

Rally against Utah

Freshman Kaitlyn Reynolds netted a goal in the 83rd minute, but it wasn't enough as TCU dropped a 3-1 decision to Utah on Thursday night at Ute Field. Reynolds, a Houston native, drove a ball from about 40 yards over the top of Utah goalkeeper Hannah Turpen in the 83rd minute to net her first career goal and bring the scoreboard to 3-1 in favor of the Utes.

Overall, TCU outshot the Utes, 20-17, including 15-7 in the second half. Torda recorded five shots on Thursday night, while Calhoun and Karoly chipped in with three apiece.

Kelsey Walters recorded two saves at Ute Field, while Turpen posted seven on Thursday.

With the loss, TCU moved to 8-7-0 overall and 1-3-0 in the MWC, while Utah improved to 7-7-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the conference.

OverTime battle vs Wyoming

Saturday night the horned frogs battled against the top team in the conference, undefeated Wyoming. It was a track race early on in the game both teams going side to side, in the 37th minute the horned frogs fell behind off a free-kick shot which took a wrong turn off a horned frog and into the goal. The second half was all TCU out-shooting the Cowgirls 11-2 and maintaining possession on Wyoming's side of the field. Chelsea Cody scored her first career goal in the 89th minute, a one touch volley that sailed into the goal bring TCU to even terms with Wyoming. Cody was swarmed by all eleven players on the field after the goal. In overtime the horned frogs dominated play until a fast break by Wyoming sealed the loss.

TCU now travels to Utah and BYU this week, games on Thursday and Saturday. You can follow the games on the internet where there will be live broadcasts.

Air Force goes down

Senior Michelle Nguyen netted a penalty kick goal in overtime Thursday to lead TCU to a 1-0 victory over Air Force at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.
"We got the win today and in conference play that is all that matters," said head coach Dan Abdalla. "We found a way to get the result against a Mountain West Conference opponent."

Kelsey Walters had a solid day in net on Thursday afternoon, saving four shots, while Green posted two saves.
With the win, TCU moved to 8-5-0 on the year and 1-1-0 in Mountain West play, while Air Force dropped to 2-10-1 overall and 0-2-0 in conference play.

The Horned Frogs will continue conference play on Saturday night against Wyoming. Start time for the match is set for 7 p.m. in Fort Worth.

7 Players Honored as Scholar Athletes

For the academic year 2008-2009, seven horned frogs were honored as scholar athletes by the Mountain West Conference. Jackie Torda, Chelsea Cody, Cheryl Martin, Hannah Kunnemann, Kelly Faerber and former players Courtney Johnson and Julia Slater were among the girls receiving gold medallions for the scholastic efforts.

TCU Football and Volleyball win big

TCU Wins Thriller; Tops San Diego State

TCU Rolls Past SMU 39-14
Andy Dalton threw for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Think Pink Night in New Mexico

TCU totaled 17 shot attempts, but dropped a 1-0 decision to New Mexico on Saturday night at the UNM Soccer Complex.
Early in the match, it appeared as if junior Jackie Torda put the Horned Frogs on the board, but her shot in the 25th minute sailed wide of the net. NM's Jennifer Williams netted the lone goal of the match in the 47th minute off a cross from Alexis Ball.

On defense, TCU, who held the Lobos scoreless during the first half, tallied seven saves, including four in the second half.
With the loss, the Horned Frogs moved to 7-5-0 overall and 0-1-0 in the Mountain West Conference, while New Mexico improved to 9-1-2 overall and 1-0-0 in conference play.
The Horned Frogs will next be in action at home against Air Force on Thursday, Oct. 8. Start time for the match is set for noon at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

No. 10 TCU Hosts SMU In Battle For The Iron Skillet

Torda Selected as TCU Student-Athletes of the Week

The TCU Athletics Department Jackie Torda (Colleyville, Texas | Nolan Catholic H.S.) as its Student-Athlete of the Week following her performance for the Horned Frogs this past weekend.

Torda netted a pair of second-half goals en route to leading TCU to a 4-0 victory over Texas Woman's University on Sunday. The TCU junior collected her first goal in the 60th minute followed by her second goal of the game in the 76th minute.

Calhoun Mountain West Conference Player of the Week

TCU sophomore Jordan Calhoun was selected as the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Calhoun, a native of Norman, Okla., netted three goals and assisted on another to lead the Horned Frogs to a 5-2 victory over Stephen F. Austin this past Friday night.

Overall, she posted four shots for the match, all of which came on goal and brought her goal total to eight for the season. With her first career hat trick, Calhoun has now posted 23 goals for her career, which moves her into No. 3 all-time in career goals. She is only the second MWC player this season to record a hat trick in a match, while also posting the second highest point total this fall in a single match in the conference.

Frogs Run Past TWU

TCU dominated the contest on Sunday afternoon, outshooting the Pioneers, 28-4, including 16-1 in the second half. The Frogs had a standout day defensively, holding TWU to no corner kicks and only four shot attempts in the shutout victory. Overall, TCU did not allow Texas Woman's to record a shot attempt until the 30:29 mark of the first half. In the second half, the Pioneers lone shot attempt came at the 49:48 mark and it was blocked by the Horned Frogs.

Defender Alex Mechalske put TCU on the board in the 8th minute of the match, blasting a ball from about 20 yards out. Lizzy Karoly gave the Purple and White an early 2-0 lead, scoring off a deflection inside the box. Jackie Torda scored two second half goals to seal the 4-0 win.

With the victory, the Horned Frogs moved to 7-4-0 on the season, while Texas Woman's dropped to 2-5-0.
TCU will open its conference season next Saturday at New Mexico. Start time for the match is set for 5 p.m. MT.

Communication Saturday

Today the girls created an obstacle course for themselves to go through dealing with the importance of communication. Here are some funny clips of the exercise.

TCU routs SFA

Tonight we played the lady lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin State on a great night for soccer. The scoring started half way through the first half when senior Lizzy Karoly netted her fourth goal on the year from a Jordan Calhoun pass. Jordan Calhoun would continue the scoring in the second half with three goals of her own; including a booming shot from well over 30 yards out giving Calhoun her first career hat-trick as a horned frog. Katy Taylor also netted a goal in the 5-2 rout over SFA off a freekick that she ripped through the SFA wall.

With the win, we moved to 6-4-0 on the year, while Stephen F. Austin fell to 3-6-0 on the season. The Frogs played in front of 1,525 spectators on Friday night. The Horned Frogs will next be in action on Sunday against Texas Woman's University. Start time for the match is set for 1 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

Championship Game in Lubbock

Today the we played in the championship game in the Texas Tech Tournament against SEC opponent, Alabama.Overall, TCU outshot the Crimson Tide, 19-8, including 10-1 in the first half. The Purple and White also recorded a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks for the match. Lizzy Karoly led the offensive attack for the Frogs with four shots attempts, while Jackie Torda chipped in with three. On defense, Kira Michelson-Bartlett had a solid first outing, saving four shots. Earning all-tournament team honors on Sunday were Jordan Calhoun, Nikki Wilbur and Katie Taylor. With the loss, TCU moved to 5-4-0 on the year, while Alabama improved to 4-3-0.

TCU will resume action next Friday against Stephen F. Austin. Start time for the match is set for 7 p.m. in Fort Worth.

Saturday Morning in Lubbock

After a strong win last night, the Horned Frogs had a light training session this morning at the Tech soccer complex. Here are some quality clips of the coaches getting in some the action. Make sure you check out the star jumps at the end of the girls who could not get out of the middle.

Frogs to much for Weber St.

We beat the Weber St. Wildcats 2-1 in the first game of the Texas Tech Tournament. Jordan Calhoun netted her fifth goal on the year half way through the second half, after dribbling through the Weber St. back-line. Freshmen Leigh Leonard scored the game winner in the 85th minute off a Jordan Calhoun cross; the goal gave Leonard her first career goal as a Horned Frog. Dan Abdalla says "This is what a conference game is going to be like and I thought the second half mentality was tremendous." We are back in action on Sunday morning at 11AM to play Alabama in the championship game.

Travel Day to Lubbock

We leave today to go Lubbock, TX to play in the Texas Tech Tournament for four days. We play Weber St tomorrow evening at 5 PM and on Sunday we play one of the SEC's top teams, Alabama, at 11 AM. Here are some clips of our practice in the indoor facility before we left.

Horned Frogs weekend

No. 30 TCU totaled eight shots, but dropped a 3-0 contest to Colorado College on Friday night at Stewart Field. Jordan Calhoun tried one last time to put the Purple and White on the scoreboard in the 79th minute, but her shot from outside the box was saved by Hulyo to preserve the 3-0 final score. For the match, the Frogs recorded a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks, including a 4-1 mark in the second half. TCU was led on offense by Cody who posted three shot attempts, while Calhoun chipped in with two.

TCU netted two first half goals, but it wasn't enough as the Horned Frogs dropped a 3-2 decision to Denver on Sunday afternoon at the Colorado College Invitational.
Following a goal by DU's Lizzy Carlson, sophomore Kristen Halverson tied the match at 1-1 in the 11th minute of the first half at Stewart Field. The goal marked Halverson's first goal in a Horned Frog uniform. Calhoun, a sophomore from Norman, Okla., knotted the contest at 2-2 in the 40th minute off assists from Kaylie Garcia and Nguyen on a corner kick. The goal, which was Calhoun's fourth of the season, moved her into sole possession of No. 5 all-time in career goals scored with 19. In a back-and-fourth contest, TCU held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks, while totaling 12 shot attempts. On offense, Calhoun led the Horned Frog attack, connecting on four shot attempts, including two on goal. Walters saved three shots on Sunday, while Campbell stopped four.

Horned Frogs still strong

Still Strong In National Polls
TCU moved down in the rankings this week in the NSCAA/Adidas National Poll as the Frogs are currently ranked No. 30 after opening last week at No. 26. The Horned Frogs, who are currently ranked No. 9 in the Pacific Region, also remain just outside the Top 25 of Soccer Times at No. 28. The Purple and White were previously ranked No. 29 overall in Soccer Times.

Mountain West Statistics Update
Heading into Friday's contest, TCU currently ranks No. 2 in the conference in shots (102), goals-per-game (2.20), assists-per-game (2.20), fouls (65) and average home attendance (1,331). The Frogs are first in corner kicks (42) and third in points (33), goals (11) and assists (11).

Individually, sophomore Jordan Calhoun leads the MWC in assists and assists-per-game with four and 0.80, respectively, on the season. Calhoun also ranks No. 2 in shots-per-game (3.80), points (10), points-per-game (2.00), goals (3) and goals-per-game (0.60). Lizzy Karoly ranks No. 2 in goals (3) and goals-per-game (0.60), while Kaylie Garcia is currently No. 2 in the game-winning goals (2).

Travel Day

Excited to hit the road and see a different part of the country as we head to Colorado Springs this afternoon. Travel is always fun and it's easy for us as we're only 20 minutes from one of the largest airports in the country, DFW. We'll bus to the airport and fly straight in to Colorado Springs. When we arrive we'll head straight to the hotel-the Cheyenne Mountain Resort-

http://www.cheyennemountain.com/

This place is unbelievable!

We'll jump over to Colorado College for a quick training this evening and then just relax in preparation of the match tomorrow!

Win over Rice sets new records

Sunday evening in Houston, Texas TCU picked up our fourth win on the season against Rice University. Senior Lizzy Karoly scored late in the second half to tie the game 1-1 this goal made Lizzy the all-time leader in goals scored with 25 career goals moving her past Sara Campbell in the TCU history books. Kaylie Garcia then scored the game winner in the 84th minute off the corner kick delivered by Alex Mechalske. We continued to dominate offensively out shooting Rice 25-8 including 14-5 in the second half. The win sent the frogs into a 4-1-0 overall record for the year as we travel to Colorado Springs this weekend to play Colorado College and Denver University. 

Frogs battle in Double OT thriller

Friday night at Garvey-Rosenthal stadium the TCU Horned Frogs battled the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a double overtime thriller in front of a packed stadium with nearly 2,000 fans in attendance. The frogs came back from a 2-0 deficit in the first half by a goal scored by Jenna Hayes her first on the season assisted by Jordan Calhoun and Chelsea Cody. TCU again was able to come back and tie the game with goals from Lizzy Karoly and Katie Taylor in the second half sending the game into a 3-3 draw and overtime. The start of overtime saw the frogs see most of the action and with 30 seconds left in the the final overtime Texas Tech scored the game winner. It was the first lost to Texas Tech in over 2 years, the loss was in front of the fifth largest crowd in stadium history.

#26 Horned Frogs Weekend Preview!

The nationally ranked TCU women's soccer program will take to the pitch on Friday night against Texas Tech before traveling to Houston for a Sunday match-up against Rice.

Start time for Friday's game against the Red Raiders is set for 7 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium, while the Frogs contest against the Owls will take place at 6 p.m. in Houston.

Scouting Texas Tech-Texas Tech comes into tomorrow's match with a 2-1-0 overall record. The Red Raiders, who are currently on a six-match road trip, upended UTEP last Sunday, 4-3, at the Miner Classic in El Paso. In the match against the Miners, Dawn Ward netted two goals, while Brittney Harrison added the game-winner in the 75th minute to lead Texas Tech to a 4-3 victory.
Texas Tech, who opened the year downing UT San Antonio, 5-0, dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to Utah State last Friday night. Taylor Lytle gave Texas Tech a 1-0 lead in the match, but Utah State rallied for three first-half goals en route to a 3-2 victory over the Red Raiders in the first round of the Miner Classic.
Overall, Texas Tech, who has 16 student-athletes who hail from the Metroplex, is led on offense by Ward. The redshirt freshman has netted four goals on the season and is tied with Oklahoma's Whitney Palmer for the Big 12 Conference lead for goals scored.

Scouting Rice-Rice, who enters its Friday night contest against Stephen F. Austin with a 0-2-1 record, will play only its second home match of the 2009 season against the Horned Frogs.
The Owls opened the fall campaign battling Baylor to a 1-1 draw on August 21. Senior forward Erin Scott scored Rice's lone goal of the contest in the second half as the Owls outshot Baylor in the two-overtime periods by a combined total of 8-4. They also held an 11-8 advantage in corner kicks for the match.
In their last two outings, Rice, who returned nine starters from its 2008 squad, has dropped two-straight 1-0 setbacks to Marquette and UW-Milwaukee, respectively.

Scouting TCU-TCU, who is 3-0-0 on the season, comes into Friday's contest ranked No. 26 overall in the NSCAA/Adidas National Poll.
In its last outing, TCU's Jordan Calhoun netted a goal and assisted on another to lead TCU to a 3-1 victory over Houston Baptist at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The Frogs pressured the Huskies all day, outshooting HBU, 12-4, including 9-2 in the first half. TCU also totaled nine corner kicks for the match.
All-Time Series OutlookFriday's match against Texas Tech will mark the 17th time in program history that the two Texas schools have faced each other. TCU leads the overall series, 11-3-2, including 6-1-0 at home.
The Horned Frogs dropped the Red Raiders, 3-2, in 2008. Lizzy Karoly posted a goal and an assist to lead TCU to the victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock.
TCU's contest against Rice will be the eighth in the all-time series. The series is currently tied at 3-3-1. The two schools have split the last two outings with the Frogs upending the Owls, 2-1, last fall. In 2007, Rice downed TCU in Houston, 1-0.
Series NotesIn the last two meetings between TCU and Texas Tech, the Frogs have dropped the Big 12 Conference school by one goal. In 2007, the Purple and White upended the Red Raiders, 2-1. Last fall, TCU battled back to down Texas Tech, 3-2, in Lubbock.
Overall, TCU, who's only loss to Texas Tech in Fort Worth came in 1996, have defeated the Red Raiders by only one goal in eight contests out of 16. In 2005, the Frogs dominated TTU, 4-0, which is tied for the largest margin of victory in the series.
Sunday's contest against Rice gets even more interesting for TCU as each of the last two meetings between the Horned Frogs and Owls have been decided in double-overtime, including a 2-1 TCU victory last season at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. When you break the series down, the two Texas schools have played a total of three double overtime games in seven matches. The series record in those double overtime matches is currently, 1-1-1.

Moving On Up-TCU moved up the rankings this week in the NSCAA/Adidas National Poll as the Frogs are currently ranked No. 26 after opening last week at No. 28. The Horned Frogs, who are currently ranked No. 4 in the Pacific Region, also remain just outside the Top 25 of Soccer Times at No. 28. The Purple and White were previously ranked No. 29 overall in Soccer Times.

Mountain West Statistics Update-Heading into Friday's contest, TCU currently ranks No. 3 in the conference in shots (54), points (18), goals (6), goals-per-game (6), assists (6) and goals allowed (2). The Frogs are first in corner kicks (29) and second in assists-per-game (2.00).
Individually, sophomore Jordan Calhoun leads the MWC in shots-per-game with 11, while Kristen Halverson ranks first in assists (2) and assists-per-game with a 0.67 average.
Home Field AdvantageThrough Dan Abdalla's five years in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs have fared well at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. Heading into Friday night's match against Texas Tech, the Purple and White last fell in Fort Worth on Oct. 16 to BYU, 1-0. Overall, the Frogs have not lost in 11 of their last 13 matches at home. TCU has outscored its opponent, 36-8, in those 13 outings.

2 more wins on the weekend keeps a perfect 3-0!

We picked up 2 more wins this weekend to move 3-0 on the season. It was a hectic week with the first day of classes, the midweek match versus Mexico and then the 2 weekend games. To come out of that 3-0 on the season is pretty impressive. I went back and watched the win over Houston Baptist last night and really liked a lot of the things we did. We created some great chances and were very sharp the first half. Second half our legs got to us a little-3rd game in 6 days-but still we stayed pretty organized. Expect this stretch is really going to help us in the long run with things.

Looking forward to 2 more games this week versus more teams from the state of Texas, with Texas Tech coming to us Friday and we head to Rice on Sunday. Both games are always spirited and hard fought matches. Should be a great atmosphere for Friday-we're averaging right around 1400 fans a game, expect this one to be our second sell out of the season with well over 2000. Kick off Friday is at 7:00.

Frogs Remain Undeafeated on the Season!

We picked up another win tonight to move to 2-0 on the young season with a 1-0 victory over UTSA. We racked up 28 shots and 16 corners, just couldn't stick more home. Kaylie Garcia had the game winner in the 25th minute on a blast from on top of the box.

Training tomorrow and then Houston Baptist on Sunday.

#28 Horned Frogs Battle UTSA and Houston Baptist Over The Weekend

The No. 28 TCU women's soccer program will close the month of August with home matches against UT San Antonio on Friday and Houston Baptist on Sunday, respectively.

Start time for the match against the Roadrunners is set for 7 p.m., while the contest against the Huskies will begin at 1 p.m. in Fort Worth.

Follow The Horned FrogsFans not able to attend tomorrow's home match against UTSA can follow the game live by logging onto www.gofrogs.com. There you can find links to gametracker and watch the match live via web streaming. Both links are located on the women's soccer schedule page.

All regular season home contests will be broadcast live via webstreaming on gofrogs.com.

Scouting UTSA
UT San Antonio, who is currently on a five-match road swing, opened its season dropping a 5-0 decision at Texas Tech on Aug. 21. Seniors Halee Hamm and Jenny Munoz posted a shot apiece for the Roadrunners, all coming in the second half in Lubbock.
Hamm gave UTSA its first win of the season with a golden goal in a 2-1 double overtime victory over Houston last Sunday afternoon. Munoz netted the other goal for the Roadrunners in the match, putting the ball into the back of the net in the 36th minute.

The Roadrunners, who were picked to finish third overall in the preseason conference poll, posted a school-best 10 wins and nine shutouts in 2008. UTSA also accumulated a 6-2-1 conference record, which tied for second-place in the league standings.

Scouting Houston Baptist
Houston Baptist will open its 2009 season Sunday against the Horned Frogs. HBU and the University of Houston were supposed to play last Friday night, but had their match cancelled due to lightning and storms in the Houston area.

The Huskies, who went 9-7-1 overall last fall, will look to build on a 2008 season in which they opened the season with four-consecutive victories. In HBU's seven losses last season, four of them were by just one goal and two of those came in the second overtime period.
HBU was recently picked to finish second in the Great West Conference West Division in the conferences preseason poll.

Scouting TCU
TCU opened its season last Friday night with a 2-1 victory over No. 15 Texas in Austin. The win over the Longhorns snapped UT's 26-match home unbeaten streak at Mike A. Myers Field.

Following the victory over UT, the Horned Frogs garnered their first national ranking of the season on Tuesday as they are currently No. 28 in the NSCAA/ADIDAS National Poll.

In their final exhibition match against the Mexican National Team on Tuesday, the Frogs' Katie Taylor netted a first half goal off a corner kick, but it wasn't enough as the Mexican National Team dropped TCU, 4-1, in front of 2,089 spectators at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.
All-Time Series OutlookFriday's match against UTSA will mark the fourth time in program history that the two Texas schools have faced each other. TCU leads the overall series, 3-0-0, and have outscored the Roadrunners, 6-1. In 2008, Lizzy Karoly and Jackie Torda netted first half goals to lead TCU to a 2-1 victory over UT San Antonio at the UTSA Recreational Sports Complex.

Sunday's match against Houston Baptist will mark the second time in program history that HBU and the Frogs have met on the pitch. TCU leads the overall series, 1-0-0, dropping the Huskies, 5-0, in 1986.

Crowded Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium
This past Tuesday, TCU closed out its exhibition slate in front of 2,089 spectators against the Mexican National Team. The 2,089 in attendance was the third-largest attendance figure in program history and largest ever for a non-regular season match.

Back In The National Rankings
Following its season-opening victory over Texas, TCU found itself in the national polls this week. TCU landed at No. 28 in the NSCAA/ADIDAS National Poll and heads into Friday's contest ranked No. 4 in the Pacific Region. The Frogs also remain just outside the Top 25 of Soccer Times at No. 29.

Last fall, TCU was ranked in nearly every poll throughout the course of the season, including a program-high No. 24 during the halfway point of 2008.

Calhoun Picks Up National Award
TCU sophomore Jordan Calhoun was honored on Tuesday by Soccer America as the magazine selected Calhoun to its Team of the Week.

The award for Calhoun marked the first time in her career that she was selected to Soccer America's Team of the Week. In 2008, the returning first-team all-conference selection was selected to the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week following matches against Ole Miss and Xavier.

TCU On The National Scene
Following its season-opening victory, the Frogs have fared well amongst the national leaders.

Jordan Calhoun currently sits at No. 15 in the NCAA in goals-per-contest, while also ranking No. 29 overall in points-per-game in the nation.

As a team, TCU is currently ranked No. 17 in scoring offense. Defensively, the Frogs sit No. 45 overall in the NCAA in goals-against-average with an average of .814 after one match.

Mountain West Statistics Update
Heading into Friday's contest, TCU currently ranks No. 2 in the conference in points (6), goals (2), goals-per-game (2), assists (2) and assists-per-game (2).
Individually, sophomore Jordan Calhoun leads the MWC in points-per-game (4), goals (2), game-winning goals (1) and goals-per-game (2), while junior Jackie Torda and sophomore Kaylie Garcia rank first in assists-per-game with one, respectively.

Home Field Advantage
Through Dan Abdalla's five years in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs have fared well at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. Heading into Friday night's match against UTSA, the Purple and White last fell in Fort Worth on Oct. 16 to BYU, 1-0. Overall, the Frogs have not lost in nine of their last 11 matches at home. TCU has outscored its opponent, 32-7, in those 11 outings.

Calhoun and Taylor Honored By Mountain West
TCU sophomores Jordan Calhoun and Katie Taylor were selected as the Mountain West Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week on Monday.

Calhoun, a native of Norman, Okla., netted the game-winning goal in the 85th minute to give TCU a 2-1 victory over No. 15 Texas. The win by the Horned Frogs snapped the Longhorn's 26-match home unbeaten streak at Mike A. Myers Field. Calhoun scored both of TCU's goals in the game, putting the Horned Frogs on the board early in the match when she found the back of the net in the fifth minute of the contest.

Taylor, a defender from California, led a TCU defense that held the Longhorns to just seven shot attempts for the entire match, including only three in the second half. UT's first shot attempt in the second half came with only 17 minutes remaining in the contest.

Calhoun Does It Again
For the second-consecutive season, sophomore Jordan Calhoun netted two goals in the Horned Frogs opening-season match. In 2008, the returning first-team all-conference selection found the net twice against Stephen F. Austin. Last Friday night, Calhoun simply dominated Texas at times, scoring one goal in the first half and the game-winner late in the match.

Up Next
TCU will take on in-state rival Texas Tech next Friday night at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium before traveling to Houston for an away match at Rice. Start time is set for 7 p.m. against the Red Raiders, while the match against the Owls will begin at 6 p.m.

Highlights from TCU Win over Texas

Getting ready for tonights match versus UTSA at 7:00. Mark put together a great highlight video from our win over Texas:
http://www.youtube.com/frogsoccer

Frogs Crack National Rankings!

The TCU women's soccer team garnered its first national ranking of the season on Tuesday as the Horned Frogs landed at No. 28 in the NSCAA/ADIDAS National Poll.

TCU, who is coming off a 2-1 season-opening victory over No. 25 Texas in Austin, heads into Friday's contest ranked No. 4 in the Pacific Region. The Frogs also remain just outside the Top 25 of Soccer Times at No. 29.

TCU will open its regular-season home schedule on Friday against UT-San Antonio at 7 p.m.

Calhoun Named To Soccer America National Team of the Week!

Sophomore Jordan Calhoun was named this morning to Soccer America's National Team of the Week for her 2 goals versus Texas.

The Horned Frogs also ranked 4th in the NSCAA Pacific Region Rankings, following Stanford, UCLA and USC. The team is also receiving votes nationally by SoccerTimes.com.

TCU's Calhoun & Taylor Named Mountain West Conference Players of the Week!

TCU sophomore forward Jordan Calhoun and sophomore defender Katie Taylor have been named Mountain West Conference Women's Soccer Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively.

Calhoun, a native of Norman, Okla., scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute to give TCU a 2-1 victory over No. 15 Texas. The win by the Horned Frogs snapped the Longhorn's 26-match home unbeaten streak at Mike A. Myers Field. Calhoun scored both of TCU's goals in the game, putting the Horned Frogs on the board early in the match when she found the back of the net in the fifth minute of the contest.

Taylor, an Escondido, Calif., native, led a TCU defense that held the Longhorns to just seven shot attempts for the entire match, including only four on goal. With the score knotted at 1-1 in the second half, Taylor and the Horned Frog defense limited Texas to only three shot attempts for the entire half. The first shot attempt by Texas in the second half was blocked by the defense, which came with only 17 minutes remaining in the match.

Calhoun's Game Winner Lifts Frogs Past #15 Texas

Jordan Calhoun scored the gamewinner in the 85th minute to give TCU a 2-1 victory over No. 15 Texas on Friday night and snap UT's 26-match home unbeaten streak at Mike A. Myers Field.

Calhoun secured the win in the second half when she beat UT goalkeeper Alexa Gaul off an assist by junior Jackie Torda. On the play, Torda played a beautiful ball between two Longhorn defenders to Calhoun who put the ball into the back of the net with only five minutes remaining in the contest.

"It's a good win. Anytime you go on the road and get a chance to beat a team of their caliber it is good," said head coach Dan Abdalla. "Give our kids credit, they came out in the second half and really went after them. They worked hard and got a result because of it."

In a back-and-fourth first half, TCU got on the board when Calhoun, a sophomore from Norman, Okla., found the back of the net in the fifth minute off an assist by Kaylie Garcia. On the play, Calhoun beat Gaul from about 15 yards out from the left side of the box.

UT fired right back though as Leah Fortune just beat Kelsey Walters a minute later off a deflection just outside the box.

The Horned Frogs, who pressured the Longhorns on the offensive attack for nearly the entire match, looked to have taken the lead halfway through the period when Garcia connected off a cross by Lizzy Karoly, but the sophomore had her shot saved by Gaul to keep the score knotted at 1-1 at the half.

Following the break, Chelsea Cody almost gave the Horned Frogs the advantage, rocketing a shot towards the goal to a streaking Jackie Torda, but the ball sailed wide of the net.
A few minutes later, Cody broke through the Longhorn defense again and found freshman Leigha Leonard on the right side of the box, but she could not connect with Katie Runyon who was running wide open down the left side of the field.

TCU continued its relentless pressure on UT midway through the period as Kristen Halverson, a sophomore from California, fired two consecutive shots towards the goal, including one deep in the box off a cross from Alex Mechalske with only 16 minutes remaining in the contest, but just missed giving TCU the 2-1 advantage.

Following Calhoun's second goal of the match, Walters came of huge as she saved a shot off the foot of Fortune with 1:12 remaining on the clock to preserve the Purple and White's first win in Austin in program history.

"I think it's a great start to our season especially winning on the road since we have a lot of away games this season," said Calhoun, who earned Soccer Buzz Freshman All-America honors last fall.

For the match, TCU outshot Texas, 14-7, including 8-3 in the second half. Calhoun led the offensive attack for the Horned Frogs with three shots for the match, while Garcia and Halverson chipped in with two apiece.

On defense, Walters recorded three saves on the night, while Gaul posted four on Friday.
The Horned Frogs moved to 1-0-0 on the year, while UT dropped to 0-1-0 on the year. With her two-goal effort, Calhoun moved into No. 6 all-time in career goals in TCU history.

TCU will open its home schedule next Tuesday against the Mexican National Team. Start time is set for 7 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

TCU Opens Season at #15 Texas Friday Night

The TCU women's soccer program will open its 2009 regular season slate on Friday at Texas.
The match against the Longhorns, which will mark the second time in three years the Horned Frogs have traveled to Austin to begin a season, is set for 7 p.m. at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Follow The Horned Frogs

Fans not able to attend Friday's away match against Texas can follow the game live by logging onto www.gofrogs.com. There you can find a link to gametracker, which is located on the schedule page.

All regular season home contests will be broadcast live via webstreaming on gofrogs.com.

Scouting Texas

The Longhorns come into the season-opener ranked No. 15 in the NSCAA National Rankings. UT, who was recently picked to finish fifth overall in the preseason Big 12 Conference rankings, returns plenty of talent off a 2008 squad that closed the season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They come into Friday's contest holding a 26-game unbeaten streak at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Overall, Texas returns seven starters, including preseason all-conference selection Erica Campanelli and 2008 Freshman All-America honoree Kylie Doniak. Finally, UT closed out its exhibition slate, dropping a 2-1 decision at LSU.

Scouting TCU

The pieces are in place in 2009 for the Horned Frog women's soccer program to make a serious run at a conference title and NCAA Tournament berth. With 10 of 11 starters returning, including its top-four goal strikers and entire defensive backline, TCU has the potential to be one of the top teams not only in the Mountain West Conference, but also the country in 2009.
The Horned Frogs will enter 2009 looking to improve upon a program best 14-4-2 record overall and 4-2-1 mark in conference action.

TCU's last line of defense this fall will consist of fwo-year starter Cheryl Martin, sophomore Katie Taylor, who earned all-conference honors in 2008, Alex Mechalske and Lindsay Holmes. The quartet started nearly every contest last fall and will once again play a key role in TCU's success in 2009. Sophomore Chelsey Wilgenburg will also probably start after showing some dominating stretches during last fall. Between the posts, Kelsey Walters once again returns following a season in which she recorded the lowest goals-against-average in program history.

The midfield position could be one of the most dangerous positions this fall for TCU as the Horned Frogs return junior's Chelsea Cody, 2008 MWC All-Tournament selection Jackie Torda and Nikki Wilbur. Both Michelle Nguyen and Kaylie Garcia will push for starting spots in 2009 as well after netting multiple goals during the 2008 campaign. Look for sophomore transfer Kristen Halverson to also play into the midfield mix after starting for TCU during its exhibition contest against North Texas.

Up front, TCU possess one of the most dangerous attackers in the country in sophomore Jordan Calhoun. Calhoun is coming off a freshman campaign in which she earned Freshman All-America status by Soccer Buzz, while netting a program-best 15 goals. Along side Calhoun will be senior Lizzy Karoly, a two-time all-conference selection. Karoly recorded 11 goals in 2008 and should see her goal production increase during her final season.

Last Time Out

Junior Nikki Wilbur netted a goal in the 72nd minute to give TCU a 1-0 exhibition victory over North Texas last Saturday night. Wilbur, a defender from California, scored the lone goal of the match late in the second half off a corner kick by Michelle Nguyen. On the play, Nguyen blasted the ball into the middle of the box, finding Wilbur who headed the ball into the back of the net to give TCU the 1-0 advantage.

"From a training standpoint, I was happy with how we progressed as the game went on against a quality opponent," said head coach Dan Abdalla. "I thought we just got a little bit more comfortable throughout the night and increased our pressure on the ball. We now just have to get a little bit more organized and bite in our play. We also have to work on our transition game. Overall, it was a good building step for us from our last game to this one, now we just have to move forward."

Preseason Rankings

Coming off its best season in program history, the TCU women's soccer program was recently selected to finish second in the Mountain West Conference this fall. The second-place selection is the highest preseason ranking ever for the Horned Frogs. The poll was selected by a vote by the league's coaches.

TCU, who received one first-place vote, is predicted to finish behind BYU, who received 49 points and seven of the eight first-place votes. Utah tied TCU for second-place points with 39 in the poll.

San Diego State and UNLV were predicted to finish in fourth and fifth-place with 30 and 28 points, respectively, while New Mexico was ranked sixth with 18 points. Wyoming and Air Force round out the top eight selections with a total of 14 and seven points, respectively.

The All-Time Series

Texas comes into Friday's contest holding a 6-5-0 advantage in the all-time series record. The No. 7 Longhorns upended TCU, 2-1, in double overtime last fall in Fort Worth. In that contest, Jordan Calhoun netted a second half goal, but UT found the back of the net late in the second overtime period to record the victory in front of 2,161 spectators at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

Going For Two

TCU will be going for its second-straight season-opening victory on Friday night. In 2008, the Horned Frogs blanked 2007 NCAA Qualifier Stephen F. Austin, 5-0. Jordan Calhoun and Lizzy Karoly each netted two goals apiece in the contest to give the Horned Frogs a 1-0-0 start to the 2008 season. Overall, the Purple and White are 2-2-0 in season-openers under head coach Dan Abdalla.

The Mexican National Team

Following its season-opener against Texas, TCU will come home to Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium to play an exhibition contest against the Mexican National Team on Tuesday, August 25. The 7 p.m. match against the National Team will mark the first time in TCU history that one of the premier national teams in the world will make its way to Fort Worth. Horned Frog sophomore Kaylie Garcia, who netted two goals and dished out four assists in 2008, played for Mexico this summer and could possibly play for both TCU and the National Team in the exhibition.

Roster Breakdown

With 10 of 11 starters returning this fall, TCU returns plenty of experience in 2009. Of the 33 players that dot the Frog roster, there are three seniors, six juniors, 16 sophomores and eight freshman. In the Purple and White's exhibition match against North Texas, TCU started one senior, three juniors and seven sophomores.

Up Next

The Horned Frogs will open their home portion of their schedule against the Mexican National Team on Tuesday, August 25. Start time is set for 7 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

Team Visits Cooks Childrens Hospital

The TCU women's soccer program took a break from preseason preparations on Monday to visit Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth.

In the spring, the soccer program presented the local children's hospital a check for $7,000. On Monday, the team toured the facilities, seeing first-hand some of their contributions.

The soccer program raised $7,000 hosting two Kicks For Kids Soccer Clinics last spring. The clinics, which had approximately 149 participants from local youth teams around the Metroplex, were organized, marketed and planned completely by the women's soccer program.

Frogs Win PreSeason Scrimmage Versus UNT

We had a chance to finish up the preseason segment of our year with a solid 1-0 victory against the University of North Texas. A goal by Nikki Wilbur off a Michelle Nguyen corner proved the difference. Both teams were working on different combinations and really using the game as a training session, but I was proud of how our group finished the game.

We really started to come into our personality as a team in being the aggressor and stepping the game forward. Our back line (Alex Meschalske, Lindsay Holmes, Katie Taylor, Nikki Wilbur, Elise Kensinger and Chelsea Wilgenburg) came together to preserve the shutout in being much more aggressive and compact which is something we had been working on-also need to mention how Wally in goal got her confidence in coming off the line, plus she's got to have the best hands in college soccer.

Our center mids (Michelle Nguyen, Chelsea Cody, Birthday Girl Kaylie Garcia, Kaitlin Shelledy and Kelly Faerber) also did a great job in getting forward and combining with our width in the second half. Also, need to mention Jordan Calhoun and Lizzy Karoly who both got into the rhythm of things and created numerous scoring chances-these two are going to be so dangerous this year!

So we take a day off tomorrow with just dinner at the famous Joe T's and then Monday, we'll have some team building at Dave & Busters, followed by a tour of Cooks Children's Hospital and then an evening training session.

Great Programs vs Great Teams

We've moved past the midway point in our preseason and have seen the group start to gel. We always spend a good bit of our time on how the team comes together as a group and we've started to see some real good progress. It's funny because many people think just because one year a group gets it and then it's there for good. But the truth is every year is unique and poses different opportunities and challenges. This is the difference between great programs versus great teams. Great teams are short term and have sporadic success, great programs are successful year in and year out.

But if you trust the process and view things in the long termm, it's easier to keep things in perspective. This year we broke our season into 6 phases - this first phase has been about defining our personality as a team. The next phase will include specifics about positions and what we want to make sure we are accomplishing as a team. The object is to be building towards the end of the season and putting ourselves in a position to accomplish all of our team goals.

It's a tough process to stay focused and disciplined but it's the foundation for great programs, not just great teams.

Horned Frogs Picked 2nd in Mountain West!

The Mountain West Conference released their pre-season poll today and had us picked to finish second in the conference. It is the highest pre-season ranking we've had and we received 1 first place vote (only 2 teams in the conference, TCU and BYU received any first place votes).

Tomorrow we head out to Baylor for our first pre-season scrimmage-it will be nice to see the team against a different uniform.

Pre-Season Update

Well, today we gave the team a day off from the field to recover from a great 4 days of training. We met for breakfast, got the team moved out of the hotel into their dorms, apartments and houses and will meet up again for dinner tonight. I've always thought that it was important to give the team some good down time away from the field to keep them fresh!

Last night we trained beneath the lights with an 11v11 inter-squad scrimmage. Loved how competitive it got. Some of the thoughts after going back over the video:

-The back line of Alex Meschalske, Katie Taylor, Nikki Wilbur and Chelsea Wilgenburg looked pretty sharp in their shape. Lindsay Holmes who is coming back from an injury also looked real solid as we limited her minutes in not wanting to rush her back. In goal Wally was solid as usual.

-In the middle of the park Chelsea Cody, Michelle Nguyen and Kaylie Garcia had great movement and great creativity for this time of year. I was amazed to see the speed of play so early.

-Offensively Lizzy Karoly looked strong and was combining really well, while Jordan Calhoun has picked up where she left off last year in putting away 3 or 4 goals.

-All of our newcomers looked to settle in well as the game progressed. Sophomore transfer Kristen Halverson showed a lot tenacity and good understanding of the game in being very dangerous, while freshman Leigha Leonard and Elise Kensinger made strong pushes in competing for playing time.

Overall, was a great effort by everyone. Tomorrow right back it!

Day 3-Intensity Ramps Up!

We had a great session this morning, spending most of our time on small group defending. The new group is really starting to pick up on things which has created a lot more competition.

Click on the link to GoFrogs.com to check out a photo gallery and interview from the first 3 days of training:
http://gofrogs.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/080709aab.html

Tonight we'll jump back out with some possession, a walk through and then some more 11v11!

Take a Tour of TCU!

Day 2 of pre-season is in the noon break after a competitive 1v1 morning session-I can't wait to see the group on the full tonight with some 11v11.

But I ran across this while checking emails and thought it was a great tour of TCU to share with everyone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPVm6498_Ig&feature=channel

1st Day of Training!

Girls showed up with a great energy today as the excitement for the 2009 season kicked in. The first day of training always brings such a wide array of emotions, but fun was definitely on top of the list today. The effort was exceptional as we started with a bit of fitness-it was extremely impressive to see everyone come in as fit as they did. It's always nice to have that base so we can focus more on playing rather than having to run.

We then opened things up and just let them play 3v3 for most of the rest of the session. We mixed up the teams every 5 minutes so we could see different players in different situations.

Ended up with Michelle Nguyen winning all 5 games she played, while Jackie Torda picked up 4 wins. In goal freshman Kira Michelson-Bartlett ended up winning 4 games, but returner Kelsey Walters looked extremely sharp as well.

Tonight we'll jump back it and spend some time playing again-more to just let the girls get to know each other and for us to sit back and see what all works.

Reporting Day!

Today the team has reported to campus to start pre-season training. This is the earliest we've ever been able to get to the team in, so it's exciting to know we've got a good amount of time (although August 12 does seem right around the corner for our first exhibition).

Today is filled with all of the administrative stuff, introductions, compliance, physicals, etc. Then it gets better later in the day when Christmas comes early with equipment & team photos. We'll finish up the day by moving the team into the team hotel for the first week of training and a great team dinner at Cheesecake Factory!

Tomorrow, 8:00 am the fun begins!

Almost Time For Pre-Season

It is the last weekend before pre-season starts and everyone is getting excited. Wednesday August 5th will be our first day out on the field and we cant wait to get going. The Max is cleaned, new nets are up, equipment is in, and the players are all arriving!! As coaches we can't wait to see all the girls and get straight into training as we know they all have worked hard over the summer with the fitness program that the Doc gave them. With some new talented faces in the squad we feel that the 2009 season could be an exciting one. We have a very challenging home schedule, including the Mexican National team, so if you get the chance to visit Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium you are going to be treated to some of the best women's soccer in the country.

We hope everyone is having a great summer and if you are in training we hope it is going well.

GO FROGS

SuperFrog Finalist for College Mascot of the Year

The TCU SuperFrog has been selected as one of 12 finalists in the 2009 Capital One All-America Mascot Challenge. Established in 2002, the Capitol One All-America Mascot Challenge annually crowns the top mascot in all of Division I.

Voting will begin on August 31.

Catching Up With Kaylie Garcia

Sophomore Midfielder Kaylie Garcia recently sat down with TCU Sports Information Director Matt Hoover:

What are you doing this summer for the upcoming season?

"I went to Mexico City this summer for a 10-day camp to train with the Mexican National Team. It was very different being down there, but I'm glad I got to go because it was a really good experience and I learned a lot of new things. Now that I'm back in Fort Worth, I will be training on my own and playing some games with the national team."

What do you expect this season from the team?

"I expect good things for this upcoming fall season. I am really excited to get things going because I know that everyone is dedicated and we are going to do whatever it takes to win that Mountain West Conference Championship and get a bid into the NCAA Tournament."

What do you like to do off the field?

"Off the field, I like to hangout with my friends and family, sleep, go to the lake, watch television with Hannah, listen to Taylor Swift with Jackie and spend nights with the team."

If you could be on a television show for one day, what would it be and why?

"If I could be on a TV show for one day, I would be on Keeping Up With The Kardashians because I think they are hilarious and always seem to have fun. It's one of my favorite shows."

Who is you favorite soccer player and why?

"Jordan Calhoun is my favorite soccer player because she's amazing and we have played together since we were 10 years old. We go way back."

If you could play any sport other then soccer, what would it be and why?

"If I could play any sport other than soccer it would be volleyball because its fun especially sand volleyball. I used to play when I was younger."

How excited are you for this season?

"I am very excited for this season! I am expecting great things and can't wait to get out there and show everyone what we got. It's going to be a good year."

Catching up

Been a busy past two weeks with camps finishing up here. The 2009 Horned Frog Soccer Academy was by far the best ever. We welcomed over 400 kids to TCU and watched them in flourish in their passion for the game over the time they spent with us. A special thanks to Jato Athletics and One Premier for contributions in making this such a special and unique soccer experience. Keep your eyes open as dates for next year will be coming out soon!

Headed off to the new Cowboys stadium today for the Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-finals. First sporting event in the stadium! I was on the field yesterday with Haiti watching training and had some fun as they were trying to hit the massive video board suspended over the field-will be interesting if that ever becomes a factor.

Game at 3:00 Costa Rica and Guadalup and then 6:00 Mexico vs Haiti-can't wait!

Faerbers Summer Journal

TCU senior midfielder Kelly Faerber once again sat down with GoFrogs.com to give fans an inside look into the TCU soccer program this summer. This is the second installment of Faerber's summer journal.
Faerber's Summer JournalI am excited to be writing from Fort Worth, home of Texas Christian University as well as one of the most artistic, cultural and entertaining cities. Recently, I have gotten to know the ropes of downtown Fort Worth. This is where I am currently interning. I never knew that Fort Worth had so much to offer.
Fortunately, I have been able to keep in touch with a lot of the girls as well as spend some time with them too. Many of the incoming freshmen have been in town for their orientation and we are very excited about having them join the team.
TCU soccer camp was this past week, which allowed many of the girls to spend time with kids from the area. It was nice to see so many familiar faces. Nikki Wilbur recently returned to Fort Worth as did Kaylie Garcia and Hannah Kunnemann.
Kaitlyn Shelledy, Jackie Torda, Jordan Calhoun, Lizzy Karoly and I were all able to spend the afternoon together and soak up some sun. Catch phrase has become a popular game among us. It always brings a good laugh.
Jordan Calhoun returned to her new home in Arkansas. However, Alex Mechalske is still residing in California with Katie Taylor. They are making plans to visit the San Diego Zoo. However, Katie may have to take some time off from a little fun in the meantime as she just got her wisdom teeth taken out. Lucky for her she did not experience any swelling in her cheeks to resemble a chipmunk.
Jackie Torda, Michelle Nguyen, Lindsay Holmes, Lauren Wysoski and I won our first home WPSL match against Houston. It was a great feeling to play under the lights at TCU again, although it wasn't the same as having our whole team there.
Cheryl Martin filled me in on her roadtrip to California with Kadye Bowman to visit Kathleen Mellano. The trio had a great time at Sea World and the beach.
Hannah Kunnemann was a facilitator for Frog Camp this past week, which orients new students with local Fort Worth attractions.
Lizzy Karoly is slowly learning the freeway system that connects Dallas and Fort Worth. To her surprise, Central Expressway is also known as Highway 75. Michelle Nguyen helped sell a house, which was an exciting accomplishment. Alex Matthews recently vacationed in Florida and got to visit with family and friends. Chelsey Wilgenburg is practicing with a local California boys team and helping out on her family's dairy farm.
Hannah Kunnemann and Kaitlyn Shelledy are currently at the Regional tournament in Dallas. We wish them all the best.
Lastly, I want to wish all the Dad's a very belated Happy Father's Day and congratulate the TCU Baseball Team for all their success this season.
Go Frogs!Kelly Faerber #17