TCU Players Headed to Final Four of WPSL

Alliance prevails, heads to final four

EDMOND — With a decisive 3-0 win Thursday night, the Oklahoma Alliance will head to Dallas for the 2010 Women’s Premier Soccer League’s (WPSL) final four tournament.

The Alliance (8-1), comprised mostly of former Edmond Soccer Club players, defeated the Phoenix Del Sol (5-2-2) in the Big Sky Conference Championship at the ESC complex in a contest that was fought mostly on the Alliance side of the field.

It didn’t take long for the home team to strike. With only 4 minutes gone in the first half, University of Oklahoma sophomore Dria Hampton put the ball in the net for the first score of the game.

Battling an elbow injury, Hampton had to come out of the game at the 15-minute mark. “She’s been on antibiotics for the last 24 hours and I guess the combination of the medicine and the heat didn’t mix well tonight,” said Alliance head coach Jimmy Hampton. “She didn’t have anything left in her gas tank.”

Fortunately for the Alliance, Hampton’s teammates were running on full.

`With 27:40 remaining in the first half, the Alliance struck again when Bailey Boulware managed to get the ball out of a crowd and into the Phoenix goal, upping the score to 2-0.

OU Sophomore Caitlin Mooney nearly scored with 12 minutes left in the half on a slow roller that just missed right of the goal.

The Del Sol’s only modest attempt at scoring was warded off by Oklahoma State University junior defender Melinda Mercado when she jumped above the crowd with her 5’10” frame and headed a corner kick away from the goal.

The final score of the game came at 44 minutes into the first half when Texas Christian University junior Jordan Calhoun took an assist from Madison Mercado and steered the ball away from the goalkeeper into the upper left corner of the goal. The 3-0 halftime score stayed intact until the end.

“I’ll take this group anywhere in the country and take my chances,” Hampton said as the Alliance will play California’s Ajax America Women team at 7 p.m. Saturday at the University of Texas-Dallas.

Best of luck to our TCU girls: Jordan Calhoun, Kaylie Garcia, Chelsea Cody, and Kelsey Walters

Torda Article on The NCAA Website

Learning The Business At TCUTCU athletes use summer to intern with athletic department

July 21, 2010

By Amy Farnum
NCAA.com

The TCU athletics program has had its share of media attention over the last academic year, highlighted by the football team’s appearance in the Fiesta Bowl in January, and capped off by the Horned Frogs’ first-ever trip to the Men’s College World Series in June.

Most student-athletes acknowledge the extra buzz around their teams, but they may not realize the efforts that go into coordinating publicity for the program. But women’s soccer standout Jackie Torda and wide receiver Curtis Clay have been learning what it takes to promote teams and student-athletes as interns in the media relations department over the last two summers.

Torda, an All-Mountain West Conference player, is majoring in advertising and public relations, and concentrates on writing articles such as student-athlete of the week for the department’s web site, tracking news coverage on TCU’s programs, and helping the staff track down bio information for teammates and fellow student-athletes.

“I’ve learned a lot from it and seen a lot of the things that I like to do or don’t like to do,” said Torda. “I like being in sports because it is what I’ve grown up with. I think this is a great learning experience and has taught me a lot about jobs that are out there.”

Like Torda, Clay is interested in working in the sports world, particularly in his area of study – broadcast journalism.
“I always saw the media relations staff members out at our practices, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to see what it’s like on the other side of journalism,” said Clay. “I would like to go into sports broadcasting … but if you want to contact the team you have to go through media relations. I thought it would be very interesting to see the other side and it has been very valuable to me.”

Clay is producing a summer conversation video series for www.gofrogs.com, which features different student-athletes participating in fall sports. He is focusing on how they are spending their summers, their expectations for the upcoming season, and mixing it up with some fluffy questions like what they love most about TCU.

“We just want to give fans of TCU athletics another way of getting to know some of the student-athletes,” said Clay.
“Curtis is filling a very important role because we don’t have a video person on staff,” said TCU Athletics Media Relations Director Mark Cohen. “He’s putting together these interviews, and that is an area we always we wanted to enhance.”

Although they are summer interns, Torda and Clay were able to experience TCU’s run to the College World Series as members of the media relations office. They each also took a little time off to head to Omaha and sit in the stands to support their school’s baseball team.

“When we beat Texas to go to the College World Series, it was crazy around here,” said Clay. “With all the media attention, the whole staff had to come together and work strictly on baseball just to manage all the attention we were getting. I was told that it was very similar to how it was when the football team went to the Fiesta Bowl. It’s really exciting being a student-athlete, a fan and working in the media relations office.”

In addition to the communications and organizational skills Torda and Clay are learning, they each have expressed an interest in remaining connected to athletics.

“The athletics department is obviously something we’re interested in because it’s not just what we do, but we know all the people around it,” said Torda.

“I feel like my comfort zone is sports, and I think I would do a better job if I concentrated in sports,” said Clay. “Having an athletic background, I think I will be able to relate to the players while interviewing them, and where I can take a question or where I can’t.”

Cohen agrees that the interns’ experiences as student-athletes are a plus in athletics media relations.

“They have that little intangible,” said Cohen. “They’re sharp, hard-working, and personable and do a great job.”

Jane Justin Locker Room Photos

The Jane Justin Field-house is almost done and the interior is now in the process of being furnished. It has been exciting to watch this awesome facility being built over the past few months. Now that it is nearing its completion we wanted to give everyone a shot of what the interior looks like at the moment.

The Top 10 Goals of TCU Continue

With the Jane Justin Fieldhouse opening this fall, GoFrogs.com reveals the No. 9 goal all-time in Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium history.

For the next few weeks, GoFrogs.com will give fans the chance to vote on the top 10 goals in Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium history. At the end of the six weeks, women's soccer fans will have a chance to vote on what they believe is the top goal.

The No. 9 Goal

Jordan Calhoun tied the match at 2-2 in the 73rd minute of the 2008 match against Ole Miss off an assist from Chelsea Cody. Calhoun took one turn and proceeded to blast the ball from outside the box into the top half of the net to send the ballgame into overtime.

Please click on the link below to view the No. 9 goal in Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium history.

NO. 9: ALL-TIME GOAL

Catching up with the Calhoun and Torda

With preseason camp only a month away, GoFrogs.com gives fans an exclusive video look at the TCU soccer program and returning senior Jackie Torda and junior Jordan Calhoun.

TCU will open its regular season on Aug. 20 at Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs are coming off a season in which they played in the Mountain West Conference Tournament for a third-straight season.

Check back next week as senior media relations intern Curtis Clay interviews freshman Charles Silmon as he prepares for the USA World Junior Track & Field Team.

Please click on the link below to view this week's GoFrogs.com video exclusive. Fans may also click on the main embedded video player, which is located on the right side of the page.

Interview Video

Newest Pictures of the Jane Justin Fieldhouse

Here are the newest pictures of the Jane Justin Fieldhouse. The exterior is almost done and it looks great, it is a very intimidating building that will scare any opponent. Check back tomorrow to see the interior of the locker room; the pictures will reveal a stunning site.

TCU Soccer Freshman Participate in TCU CHAMPS Etiquette Dinner

New Freshman Brooke Kviz, Kelly Johnson, Kristin Barg, Morgan Lane and Madeline Courvasier all took part in an Etiquette Dinner Tuesday night in the Dutch Meyer Athletic Complex as part of the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program.

Student-athletes learned how to properly order a meal, eat dinner, and use utensils in a business setting. Attendees also learned the importance of RSVPs, writing thank-you letters, and dressing appropriately.

CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator Kathy Raines said, "It's common for business meetings and job interviews to happen over a meal, so it's important that our student-athletes learn proper dinner etiquette. As Horned Frogs, we want our student-athletes to be prepared for those situations, and to be outstanding representatives of TCU and the Athletics Department."

Freshman linebacker Blake Roberts said that along with being informative, the dinner showed him how important it is to carry oneself.

"As student-athletes we're all visible," Roberts said. "People know who we are so we need to set an example."

The CHAMPS program, which stands for Challenging Athletes' Minds for Personal Success, focuses on the personal growth and career development of all Horned Frog student-athletes. With programming that addresses issues including alcohol and drug education, personal financial responsibility, leadership development, and several other topics, Raines said the program helps develop well-rounded student-athletes.

"Our student-athletes are exposed to a variety of seminar topics intended to educate them personally and prepare them professionally," Raines said.

Vote for the Best Goals

As the Jane Justin Fieldhouse nears completion the Soccer Program is going to give fans the chance to choose the Top 10 goals at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium. Starting next week tune into gofrogs.com to view a goal each week and then vote for it on the list of the Top 10. At the end of the six weeks your votes will be tallied and with your help the Top 10 goals in Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium history will be picked.

So remember go to GoFrogs.com next week and start voting for the Top 10 Goals in Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium history.

Nikki Wilbur Off The Pitch

Senior soccer player Nikki Wilbur recently participated in the NCAA Career in Sport Forum in Indianapolis. Following the forum, Wilbur sat down with GoFrogs.com to talk about her time in Indiana. The NCAA Career in Sports Forum was a four-day event through which selected student-athletes explored and were educated on careers in sports, with a primary focus on collegiate athletics.

While at the forum, Wilbur examined the key functions of a coach or administrator within sports. Foundational skills such as communication, networking, recruiting, managing culture, transitioning and budgeting were also covered in Indianapolis.

Wilbur's NCAA Career Forum Recap
Wow, Indianapolis was a blast. From the moment I stepped on the plane, I was able to meet other student-athletes interested in a career in sports. Sitting directly next to me the whole flight was a male soccer player from UT Dallas, in front was a basketball player and across the isle was a volleyball player. Once we got to Indianapolis, we immediately checked in and changed into business attire. Everyday I had to dress in business attire. We were able to meet a lot of people and become closer with our teams on the first day. The remaining days we did workshops, seminars and listened to key note speakers everyday from about 7:30 a.m. until about 10:30 p.m. I learned so much from all the activities and managed to network quite a bit with both NCAA staff and other student-athletes. The best part was breaking off into our job fields with mine being marketing. Here we learned a lot on how to move forward in this job field through questions and answers by doing a lot of hands on activities. I definitely recommend for other student-athletes to take this opportunity if given the chance. I currently have a folder full of notes and information that is really going to be beneficial and help move me forward in this field. I also now have a bunch of great friends across the United States.

Holaday wins the 2010 Johnny Bench Award

Bryan Holaday was awarded the 2010 Johnny Bench Award this past weekend. The Johnny Bench Award is given to "top catcher" in college baseball. Holady is the 11th player to receive this honor and is the first TCU baseball player to receive a major national honor. 

Holaday's list of achievements now includes the following: 1st team all-conference, 2nd team all-american, 3 time hitter of the week, MVP in the Houston and TCU tournaments, plus a selection to the 11-man College World Series team. 

Congrats to Bryan and best of luck in the majors. 

Summer Journal

GoFrogs.com recently caught up with senior midfielder Jackie Torda to get her thoughts on the upcoming soccer season in her second installment of her summer journal. Torda was a second team all-conference selection last fall and was honored as one of the top 38 players in the nation for the 2009 season.

Torda's Summer Journal
Only five weeks until preseason beings and I am already counting down the days. This summer has been great. I've been able to relax a little bit, but I'm ready to get back into the routine of training, practicing with the team and competing for a championship.

With the World Cup going on and nearing an end, its sad that team USA will not be there for the final. I was rooting for them and was sad when Ghana got that overtime goal. They had a good run though and I am now looking forward to the next Women's World Cup.

We begin team workouts this week. I'm really looking forward to it because it is usually a little less painful when you have your teammates running next to you, opposed to running on your own. It will also allow us to push each other to our potential, hold each other accountable and make sure we are giving it our all on every sprint.

We are lucky to have some of the incoming freshman moving onto campus this week for summer school classes. This is great because it allows us to get to know each other a little bit before preseason actually starts. It will also benefit them and hopefully help them adjust to the Texas heat a bit.

Each day I drive by the field, I nearly crash my car as I peek to check on the construction of the new Jane Justin Fieldhouse. They sure have made a lot of progress on the construction in the past month and it is really starting to take shape. I can't wait for it to be complete. This new fieldhouse is just another example of how the Fort Worth community supports our university, athletic department and student athletes.

A few weeks ago, we helped out at some of our youth summer soccer camps. We had a ton of youth players come in, move into the dorms and see what it is like to compete at an elite level for a few days of intense soccer. We were going from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., and wouldn't go more than two hours without touching a soccer ball. It was great to make friends with these young players who look up to us and admire our accomplishments on the field. We met some great players, but more importantly some great people. It was great to see them progress as the camp went on and I hope they had just as much fun as we did.

I was able to take a trip up to Omaha, Neb., to see the TCU baseball team compete at the College World Series. I had never been to Nebraska, but I can definitely say that I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we will be going back again next year. All of Fort Worth and TCU is so proud of what the baseball program has accomplished this year. It just goes to show that TCU is being put on the map as one of the most competitive and elite universities in the nation. We are all so proud of the baseball team for all their accomplishments and thank them for all the memories they shared with us this season.

We have 51 days until our first game against Texas Tech and I'm itching to get on the field and show them what we are made of.

"If you sacrifice early, you'll win late."
-Charles Haley

Go Frogs

Down Goes Brazil

Brazil is out!! Holland came storming back in the second half after giving up an early goal; an own goal by Brazil opened the flood gates. What looked like an easy victory for Brazil turned bitter when the Orange legion turned it up and came from behind to win 2-1. Melo's red card in the second half made the game out of reach for Brazil and Holland was able to maintain the ball and win comfortably as Brazil falls out of the 2010 World Cup in the quarterfinals. 

Tomorrow is another massive game in the round of 8 when Germany plays Argentina. Germany's youth and dynamic counter-attacking will go up against the speed and attack of Argentina. 

Conference Scholar Athletes

TCU has been represented by 53 student-athletes as the 2009-10 Mountain West Conference Scholar Athletes Honors. The athletics department had 17 teams represented in the honors, to be honored with this award a student-athlete must have completed 2 academic semesters while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better and have participated in varsity competition in a NCAA sponsored event. Congratulations to all of the student-athletes on receiving this honor and keep up the good work on and off the field.

The soccer program was represented by the following:

Kelly Faerber

Lizzy Karoly
Cheryl Martin
Jackie Torda
Kelsey Walters