Coming off a massive 6-0 victory against the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals, unranked Texas soccer looked to continue its in-state dominance in Fort Worth on Sunday against the No. 19-ranked TCU Horned Frogs. This proved easier said than done, as the match stayed in a virtual dead heat for much of regulation.
Although neither squad managed to score in the first half, it was exciting nevertheless, with Texas rattling off an impressive nine shots throughout the period. Junior midfielder Amalia Villarreal displayed her prowess, offering three shots throughout the half. Sophomore forward Ava McDonald proved herself a leader of the Texas effort, getting a shot off at the seven-minute mark, challenging the TCU offense, and acting as a reliable passing target for teammates.
TCU junior goalkeeper Olivia Geller had an impressive first half as well. Geller was strong in her position, prevailing in multiple one-on-one open-field situations against Texas attacks. She played a particularly impressive part in the latter part of the first half, deflecting three on-goal shots from Texas. Her reliable defense for the Horned Frogs contributed greatly to the first half’s tightness.
Offensively, however, TCU had less to show for than its opponent. Sophomore forward Grace Vest was the only Horned Frog able to attempt a shot in the first half, only to be denied by Texas goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn.
The second half began the way the first half ended. Texas continued to fire shots at the TCU goal, putting forth five shots in the first twenty minutes, none of which were successful.
The back-and-forth nature of the game began to show its wear on the players as the second half continued. After a foul was called on Texas freshman midfielder Caroline Swann, TCU junior defender Cameron Patton was visibly frustrated with Swann, as well as with the officials for not issuing a card against Swann.
In the 67th minute, the game’s dynamic shifted. With her fourth shot of the night, McDonald was able to put the Longhorns on the scoreboard with a laser of a shot into the top-right corner of the goal. With the shot, the Longhorns pulled away from TCU with a 1-0 lead.
TCU senior forward Bella Diorio was able to give the Horned Frogs arguably their best shot of the night in the 79th minute. The ground shot was deflected multiple times, first off the foot of a Texas defender, then Flynn’s hand, and finally off the goalpost before being cleared out of bounds by the Texas defense.
Texas experienced another close call at the beginning of the 85th minute. A firm header put forth by the TCU offense was stopped by the Longhorn goalkeeper as it neared the goal line. However, after an official review by the match referee, it was determined that the shot did not sufficiently clear the plane of the goal.
As the regulatory period elapsed, the Longhorns’ excitement was unmistakable. With a hard-fought 1-0 victory against a ranked in-state opponent, the Longhorns are poised to move up in the national rankings ahead of their upcoming match against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Thursday.