US WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM PLAYS SWEDEN FOR SPOT IN ALGARVE CUP FINAL

March begins for the US Women's National Team with a crucial match vs Sweden at the 2010 Algarve Cup in Portugal. The winner will advance to the final on 3 March. So far in the tournament, the US has won both its games and lead their group with 6 points. The US defeated Iceland 2-0 to open the tournament and followed that up with a 2-1 win over Norway. Sweden, who currently have 4 points, tied Norway and defeated Iceland 5-1 to set up the all important game tomorrow. With a win or tie the US advances to its 8th straight championship match. The match vs Sweden will kickoff at 9 am central time and can be followed at www.ussoccer.com on match tracker.

FROGS IN TOP 10 NATIONALLY IN ATTENDANCE

Once again it is seen that the Frogs have some of the best fans in the nation and Garvey Rosenthal Soccer Stadium is one of the best college soccer environments in the nation. For the 2009 season, the Frogs had the 10th highest average attendance for home games even with the fewest home games of all teams in the top 25 in total attendance. The Frogs had an average attendance of 1,431 and a total of 11,450 people watched the Horned Frogs in action this past year at TCU. The Mountain West Conference also stood out as TCU was joined by BYU and New Mexico in the top 10. No other conference in the nation had more than the MWC.

"Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium has turned into one of the great atmospheres in college soccer and it's fun to watch it just grow every year. Having the stands packed for every game just creates such a fun and exciting place for the team to play.", is what Coach Abdalla said upon hearing the news.

With the addition of the Jane Justin Fieldhouse scheduled to be completed this July, the beautiful Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium will continue be a leader in women's college soccer attendance.

GOOD LUCK TO THE TCU SWIMMING & DIVING TEAMS

The Swimming & Diving team is currently competing in Oklahoma City for the conference championships. The men's team went undefeated on the year posting an overall record of 7-0, a program first and new record. We wish both the women's and men's teams the best of luck today.

TCU SOCCER AND READING FROGS

This past Saturday, the team took part in another great event in support of kids in the TCU community. The TCU Athletics Department and Score a Goal in the Classroom combined efforts to successfully host the annual Reading Frogs event at the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility.

The Thousands of books were given away by nearly 100 TCU student-athletes to about 1,000 elementary and middle-school students from Fort Worth and surrounding communities."It was really nice to be able to go out and give back to the community through the Reading Frogs program,” junior Jackie Torda said. “It was really cool to see the kids come in and the excitement on their faces when they saw the stacks and stacks of books that they would be able to take back home with them."

Here are some pictures from the day:

KAYLIE GARCIA SPENDS THE WEEK IN MEXICO

Junior Kaylie Garcia has represented the TCU women's soccer program this past week at the Mexican National Team Training Camp in Mexico City.

"We're excited for Kaylie," said head coach Dan Abdalla. "She's worked hard to earn this opportunity and be in consideration for a national team that will compete in a World Cup and beyond at the Olympics. It is a great honor."

Following the camp, the Oklahoma City native has the opportunity to be selected as a member of the Mexican National Team's World Cup traveling squad that will compete in various World Cup qualifying matches.

Garcia netted four goals, while dishing out three assists during the 2009 season.

#11 BASEBALL OPENS SEASON TODAY

The No. 11 TCU Horned Frog baseball team kicks off its 2010 campaign Friday night when they host 2009 NCAA Regional participant Sam Houston State. Steven Maxwell is slated to be the opening night starter for the TCU. First pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. at Lupton Stadium. The three game series will run through Sunday.

Coming off the most successful season in school history, TCU has once again been picked to win the regular season Mountain West Conference. Kyle Winkler and Taylor Featherston were selected to the preseason all-conference team.

Four-time defending Mountain West Conference champion TCU is the unanimous favorite to win its fifth consecutive regular season MWC baseball title in 2010 according to a vote of the seven MWC head coaches and a selected media panel.

The Horned Frogs received all 10 first-place votes and 70 points overall, while New Mexico garnered 55 points to finish second in the poll. San Diego State collected 47 points for a third-place ranking in the poll, while defending MWC Tournament champion Utah was fourth (45 points). Rounding out the poll were BYU in fifth (28 points), UNLV in sixth (22 points) and Air Force in seventh (13 points).

TCU returns five starters from a 2009 squad that captured the NCAA Fort Worth Regional championship and advanced to the program's first NCAA Super Regional. All-Conference members Bryan Holaday (Sr./C), Featherston (So./SS) and Trent Appleby (Sr./RHP) anchor the Frogs' roster. TCU posted a 15-5 record in Conference play before finishing the season with a 40-18 overall record and No. 14 ranking in the final 2009 Baseball America poll.

KNOCKOUT STAGE OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BEGINS

The UEFA Champions League resumed action this past week in the first round of the knockout stages. Dan's favorite club Bayern Munich won at home versus Fiorentina 2-1, while Mark's favorite club Manchester United won away at the San Siro versus A.C. Milan 3-2. Also, Michelle's favorite club Arsenal lost away at F.C. Porto 1-2.

The rest of the games will be played next week, with the second leg of all the games above being played during the week of March 10th.

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!

The team took full advantage of the rare snow fall here in North Texas this past week. During the two days that school was closed due to the record 12 inches of snow that fell in the Ft Worth area, the girls took part in snowball fights and sledding in the middle of campus in the commons.

COACH ABDALLA TALKS ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2010

Dan sat down and discussed the incoming class for the 2010 season. The interview discusses how each individual player will provide an impact for the program. The upcoming season looks to be exciting and another step closer to a national championship. 

Press the play button to view the video

NBA ALL STAR WEEKEND HITS DFW

This week has been a unique one here in Ft Worth...not only did 12 inches of snow fall in Fort Worth and the rest of the DFW Metroplex, but the NBA All Star Weekend has come to town. On Sunday, Feb. 14, the 2010 NBA All Star Game will be held at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, only 15 minutes from TCU. All week the metroplex has been buzzing with the arrival of numerous NBA players and celebrities coming to town to celebrate the annual event. Its one of the great things about being at TCU!

SOCCER LEADS TCU ACADEMIC ALL MWC SELECTIONS

Headlining TCU's 36 Academic All MWC honorees were 13 members of the TCU Women's Soccer team, marking the top group among TCU's five fall athletic squads. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term at TCU while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be a startefr or significant contributor to their team. The following are the members of the TCU Women's Soccer team named to the Fall 2009 Mountain West Conference Academic All Conference Team:

Jordan Calhoun, Chelsea Cody, Jenna Hayes, Lizzy Karoly, Cheryl Martin, Alex Mechalske, Michelle Nguyen, Katie Runyon, Kaitlyn Shelledy, Jackie Torda, Kelsey Walters, Nikki Wilbur, and Chelsea Wilgenburg.

The women's soccer program was recently recognized for the fourth consecutive year with the NSCAA Team Academic Award.

SNOW DAY AT TCU

It has been 32 years since a day like today has come to North Texas. TCU woke up this morning to snow falling which started at 2 AM and is expected to continue into tonight. Everyone got an unexpected day off as snow continues to pile up. As of this afternoon over 6 inches have come down in some places. Everyone around campus is taking advantage of the snow having snow ball fights, sleding races and even laying on the ground making snow angels. Hope you enjoy the video and pictures.

TCU SOCCER CELEBRATES NATIONAL WOMEN & GIRLS IN SPORTS DAY

The TCU soccer team joined the other women’s student-athletes at TCU to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day this past Saturday with the help of Girls Inc. at a clinic held at the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Basketball Complex.

Saturday’s event featured 150 girls from the Metroplex area, in addition to representatives from nine of the 10 TCU women’s athletics programs. Stations were set up for each team, and the girls were able to go from area to area to learn about each sport and get autographs from players and coaches. After the one-hour clinic, the group of girls were in attendance for the TCU women’s basketball team’s 77-47 victory over Air Force at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

The primary focus of National Girls & Women in Sports Day has been on programs, products and services that support education and research related to girls and women in sports. Gender equity/Title IX have been focuses for many years to help people better understand how gender equity issues can be addressed in their lives.

Girls Inc. is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Today, innovation programs help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives. Girls Inc. also develops research-based information education programs that encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges.

TORDA'S SPRING JOURNAL

TCU senior midfielder Jackie Torda will give fans an inside look into the TCU soccer program this spring with her spring journal...this is the first of many entries:

We have been in spring training now for about three weeks and I think I can say it has been the most intense three weeks of conditioning of my life. We have all been pushed to another level, not only physically, but also mentally. It has been nice to see all the hard work everyone has been putting fourth. Our team is really growing stronger together.

Coming back from Christmas break, we wasted no time and jumped right into fitness testing. The testing is a variety of running and strength assessments that include the mile run, 40-yard sprints, max bench press, max leg press, the Wingate and the dreaded Vo2 max. Of course, Chelsey Wilgenburg dominated the Vo2 max. Her fitness level never ceases to amaze me. Kelsey Walters is the queen of the leg press and Kristen Halverson has arm muscles that would put even some guys to shame.

After our first week of classes and testing, we were able to enjoy a three-day weekend. That Saturday night was Lauren Edwards' birthday. We all celebrated by going out for sushi. A special thanks goes out to Elise Kensinger for bringing the delicious Hello Kitty cake.

Our second week of training went extremely well. The running was really tough, but everyone made it through alive. We ran countless numbers of 300-yard shuttles and for some reason Chelsea Cody and Lindsay Holmes never seemed to show any signs of fatigue. Our mornings on the track consisted of various 800, 400, 200 and 100-yard sprints. There were times when we all felt as if our legs were going to give out, but we were able to push through with the help and encouragement of our teammates.

Things have been a little different this semester compared to others because we have changed our schedule to morning practices instead of our normal afternoon practices. We are out on the field by 7 a.m. each morning with our cleats on and ready to work. Sometimes it is tough waking up in the morning, but once we're up, it's easy to muster up some energy. Plus, it's nice to be able to have the rest of the day to go to class, get study hall hours in and run other errands. Many times though you don't get to the errands without a quick power nap.

With our first few weeks of offseason training down, you can bet that we are all counting down the days to our first match next fall. All the work we are putting in now is sure to make us stronger for the 2010 season.

"If you are going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a greater price"- Bud Wilkinson

GO FROGS!Jackie Torda

SPRING EXHIBITION SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The TCU soccer program released its 2010 spring schedule on Monday. The nine-match schedule consists of four home matches at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

Overall, the spring schedule is dotted with two matchups against team's that made the NCAA tournament in 2009, two versus schools from the Big 12 and two against the SEC.

The Horned Frogs will open their spring campaign in Austin with a match against St. Edwards and 2009 NCAA tournament participant Oklahoma State on Saturday, Feb. 27. The Horned Frogs return to the pitch on March 6 with a contest at LSU in Baton Rouge, La. The Tigers, who have competed in the NCAA tournament for three-straight years, captured the Western division of the SEC during the fall.

Following its three away matches, TCU will travel back home for its annual alumni game on March 27. On March 28, the Frogs head down the interstate to Denton to take on Texas Women's University and Tyler Junior College.

TCU will open the month of April on Saturday, April 10 at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium against Texas Tech and Arkansas. The Red Raiders ended the fall season playing in the Big 12 tournament, while the Razorbacks recorded 11 victories.

The Frogs will put the wraps on its spring slate on April 24 at home against North Texas.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MEN'S SWIMMING: MWC CHAMPIONS

The TCU men’s swimming and diving team captured the 2009-10 Mountain West Conference Dual Meet Season Championship Saturday, dismantling No. 22 UNLV by the score of 177-117 in front of a capacity crowd at the University Rec Center Natatorium.

TCU finished the regular season with a perfect 7-0 overall record, including an unbeaten 5-0 mark against the league. The undefeated season is the first in the program’s history, while the Frogs finish the year as the only undefeated team in the MWC. The conference title serves as the first for TCU since joining the MWC in 2005-06.“This is one of the biggest wins in our program’s history,” TCU head coach Richard Sybesma said. “It was our biggest crowd ever and for them to witness us win a conference championship is really special. It’s great to be a Horned Frog right now. Our program is on the rise.”“We had a phrase before we went into this, “Until Now”, but at the same time, we knew that to be the champion, we would have to beat the champion. It is great to be a champion today.”

The Frogs started the night with a thrilling 200-medley relay win, as the team of Laszlo Gyurko, Edgar Crespo, Edgar Peyro and Josh Bagby streamlined into the wall at 1:31.10, just two one-hundredths of a second faster than the runner-up squad from UNLV at 1:31.12. “The opening relay really set the tone, winning it by two one-hundredths of a second,” Sybesma said. “I think that after that our stroke events were really solid, but more importantly, when we were able to win events, we were able to sweep them by finishing 1-2-3 or 1-2-4. That was really a big key to our victory.”

The win gave TCU an early 13-4 advantage, but that wouldn’t last long. UNLV battled to take two events to move past the Frogs, 29-26, before junior Jeff Gettel could tie the meet at 37-37 with a 100-back victory at 50.55. Crespo and junior Andy Garcia-Montes gave the Purple and White the lead again, finishing 1-2 in the 100-breaststroke. Crespo, a Panama City, Panama product snapped former Horned Frog All-American Jason Flint’s 1998 program record time by pacing the field at 55.01.

TCU would never look back, holding the lead for the remainder of the night.TCU wins leaders Gettel and Crespo weren’t done for the night. Gettel, a Plano, Texas native, completed his perfect season in the backstroke, toppling the field in the 200-back at 1:50.15. Gettel never lost from his back this season, going 13-0 for the year, and has never lost in the 200-back against the MWC in his career. Crespo also won the 200-breast, finishing his season with a perfect 12-0 mark in the breaststroke events. TCU finished 1-2-3 in the 200-breast, as Garcia-Montes and senior Ben Biefnes followed to sweep the event.In his final home meet as a Horned Frog, 10-time all-MWC selection Bagby claimed the 100-free with a time of 46.13, while also earning runner-up standards in the 50-free. Sophomore Friedrich Grott also chimed in with a win, running away with the 200-fly at 1:50.39. TCU took the top three spots in the 200-IM, as Garcia-Montes led the way (1:53.48), followed by Gettel (1:54.26) and Biefnes (1:55.38).

From above, junior Kyle Callens turned in his season-high score from the three-meter springboard, winning the event with a 369.83 scorecard for the second-best output in TCU history. The Deer Park, Texas product completed the sweep of the diving events by posting a 336.30 total from the one-meter springboard.

Congratulations to the Mountain West Conference Champions!

THE NEWEST FROGS!

TCU head soccer coach Dan Abdalla announced Wednesday a list of seven student-athletes who will attend TCU in the fall and begin competition at the start of the 2010 season.
The class is made up of four student-athletes who hail from the state of Texas, two out of California and one from Nevada.

"We are extremely excited about the group that will be joining us here in the fall," said Abdalla. "We have already added Kim Castleberry and Brittany Slyman to our program this spring, so when you add those two with the seven other newcomers, we really have a very dynamic group both on and off the field. I really want to thank and congratulate Mark Plakorus and Michelle Royal for being so instrumental in bringing in such a great group of student-athletes."

Kristen Barg, a midfielder from Plano West, brings a wealth of club experience to Fort Worth after leading the Dallas Texans to both the 2008 USYSA National Championship and the 2009 US Youth Soccer National League Championship. She also helped her club team to four-straight national tournaments, including two-straight National Championship finals. With Barg leading the way, the Dallas Texans have been Region III champions twice, while also claiming runner-up honors in the 2008 USYSA National League. Finally, her club team has excelled in North Texas, capturing two-straight state championships, while playing in the finals in both 2006 and 2007. In her two years of high school soccer, Barg, who was a 2008 first team all-district and all-freshman selection, led Plano West High School to the Texas 5A State Championship in 2008. She has also excelled on the ODP level, playing for the North Texas `92 ODP team for two years.
"Kristen Barg is going to have the ability to play at a number of positions for us. She is very comfortable with the ball at her feet and really maintains possession well. She is extremely quick and knows what it takes to win," said Abdalla.

Brooke Kviz, a defender from Keller, joins the TCU soccer program after collecting four letters in soccer at Keller High School. She earned second-team all-district accolades as a sophomore before collecting first team all-district honors following her junior season. Kviz has played club soccer for Polaris `92 where she guided them to the Region III Championship semifinals in 2008. She also helped them qualify for the North Texas state finals in 2007 and 2009. On the ODP level, Kviz was part of the North Texas '92 ODP squad that captured the 2009 ODP National Championship.

"Brooke Kviz comes to us as a defender who was originally a striker. She moved into the back with her club team and we fell in love with her mentality. She really brings that fight and competitiveness where she is able to set a tone," said Abdalla.

Kelly Johnson, a defender from Chatsworth, Calif., was the 2009 Ventura County Star Player of the Year as well as the Tri Valley League Offensive Player of the Year. A three-time first team CIF Southern Section first team selection, Johnson helped Oaks Christian High School to the CIF Southern Section Championship in 2007 and 2008. She also led Oaks Christian to the California State Regional Finals during the 2008 season. Johnson, who earned Tri Valley League first team honors the last three seasons, also was honored by the Daily News with first team all-area accolades the last three years. Overall, in 91 games she has netted 53 goals, while dishing out 77 assists for Oaks Christian. On the club level, Johnson helped Real So Cal to six-straight Surf College Cup Championships as well as a semi-final appearance at the Far West Regional Championships in 2009. She also has extensive ODP experience as a member of the Cal South 1991 ODP State team. Johnson helped her ODP squad to four-straight regional championships and is a two-time Region IV ODP pool selection. In 2009, she made the Region IV U20 ODP Regional squad.

"Kelly Johnson is one of the best defenders in the country. She is extremely athletic and has a great mentality and commitment in getting forward out of the back. She will be one of the most dangerous players in the country out of the backline. We've watched her leadership grow these past couple of years and that has got us really excited about Kelly's future," said Abdalla.

Kaitlin Hellmann, a midfielder out of Long Beach, Calif., has had a standout career at Wilson Classical High School. The Press Telegram Dream Team selection earned the Golden Boot and Offensive Player of the Year award during her junior season. She was also a first-team all-league selection as well as being a member of the CIF Southern Section team in 2009. The four-year varsity letterwinner also brings a wealth of club experience with her to Fort Worth next fall as she helped the Slammers FC capture five-straight Cal South State Championships and two-straight USYSA Regional Championships. With Hellmann leading the way, the Slammers earned second and third-place finishes at the USYSA National Championships. They also claimed the Gothia Youth Cup World Championship and the Nike Premier Cup Championship.

"Kaitlin Hellmann is another player that was important to add because she will definitely be dangerous for us out of the left side. She loves to run at players and strikes the ball well with both feet. Kaitlin has that bite that we needed to add in the midfield. She is extremely athletic and will be able to do a number of different things for us," said Abdalla.

Maddy Courvoisier, a defender from Las Vegas, Nev., will don the Purple and White next fall after excelling in multiple sports at Faith Lutheran High School. The first team all-state selection in both soccer and track, led the Crusaders to state runner-up honors in 2008. Under Courvoisier's leadership, Faith Lutheran also captured two-straight regional championships. She also helped lead her club team to two state championships. Away from the pitch, Courvoisier excelled in both track and field and basketball. On the hardwood, she earned second-team all-state accolades, while collecting runner-up accolades twice at the Las Vegas State Track and Field meet. The three-time academic all-state selection, netted 26 goals, while dishing out 19 assists at Faith Lutheran.

"Maddy Courvoisier is a great athlete that can play anywhere across the backline. She is very competitive and is able to read the game extremely well. We are really looking forward to the versatility she will add," said Abdalla.

Ashley Jones, a midfielder out of Tyler, comes to Fort Worth after collecting several honors at Robert E. Lee High School. A three-time All-East Texas honoree, including first team in 2007, Jones was a first team all-district selection in both 2007 and 2009. She also collected second team all-district in 2008 as well as academic all-district honors the last three years. Jones played club ball for the Sting Soccer Club.

"Ashley Jones is a very athletic outside midfielder. She has good pace to her and likes to go at players. We've also watched her mature into a goal scorer this high school season, which is exciting," said Abdalla.

Gabbi Dougherty, a goalkeeper from Euless, comes to TCU following a solid high school career at Colleyville Heritage High School in which she led the Panthers to two-straight district championships. Has also excelled in the classroom as she is a member of the National Honor Society, while also earning the 2009 College Board AP Scholar award.

"Gabbi Dougherty comes in as a goalkeeper and is a very hard worker. She has great technical ability and is really just the type of kid you want to have be part of your program because of her work ethic and determination," said Abdalla.

The seven newcomers will join recent additions Kim Castleberry and Brittany Slyman.

Castleberry comes to TCU from Texas A&M where she played in 25 games, including 10 starts this past fall. The McKinney native netted two goals during the 2009 season, while dishing out one assist. Prior to her stint in College Station, Castleberry, who was a two-time All-America honoree by both Parade and the NSCAA, was considered the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the class of 2009 by Top Drawer Soccer. She is currently a member of the U-20 Women's National Team and helped lead her club team to the U-17 US Youth Soccer National Championship in 2008 after earning runner-up honors in 2007. On the ODP level, Castleberry's North Texas team captured the 2008 ODP National Championship. She also excelled on the track during her Prosper High School career as she captured the 400 meters state championship during her junior season, while also placing second overall in the 100 meters twice at the Texas 3A State Track and Field Championships.

Slyman will compete for the Horned Frogs next fall after capturing the Manchester United Premier Cup/Nike Cup Golden Boot award in 2005. The Frisco native brings a wealth of club experience with her to Fort Worth as she also helped lead the Dallas Texans to the 2008 U-17 USYS National Championship. Slyman, who was invited to the 2006 ODP Region III College Showcase, helped the Texans place in the top-3 at the national tournament for three-straight seasons, including second overall in 2007. She was also a member of the North Texas State ODP team, while also being a member of the ODP Regional Pool since 2003. Away from the pitch, Slyman excelled in multiple sports as she earned multiple letters in basketball, softball and track and field. In softball, Slyman, who was an all-state and all-district selection, finished second in the nation in stolen bases, while leading Legacy Christian Academy to state runner-up honors. During her junior year, Slyman earned sixth-place honors in the triple jump at the state track and field meet, while placing fourth overall in both the long and triple jump at the regional meet.