Sept. 16, 2011

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The TCU soccer team managed to register a pair of goals in the second period, but failed to complete the comeback on the road at Stephen F. Austin Friday night, dropping a 3-2 decision.

“We gave ourselves chances in the second half to get goals and made a good push to score,” TCU head coach Dan Abdalla said. “I thought we played much more aggressive. You’ve got to give Stephen F. Austin a ton of credit. They are a good team and that was a very difficult place to come and play. Anytime that we have to play an in-state opponent on the road, it’s going to feel like a conference game. I think our team took a lot from this match tonight to help us prepare and move forward into the Mountain West schedule coming up in a couple of weeks, but we need come out of the gates and be more aggressive at the start of the game.”

After SFA netted a pair of goals in the first half, the Horned Frogs came out in the second frame with a vengeance, pushing the ball with a more aggressive approach and hurling shots at the Ladyjacks’ goal to begin the period.

Freshman Tori Hale appeared to have given TCU an early goal to begin the frame, but her shot sailed high over the outstretched arms of SFA goalkeeper Lacey Lee.

Midfielder Monica Alvarado, a junior from Southlake, Texas, finally cut into the Ladyjacks lead with a beautiful header from five yards out. The score was the first of the season for Alvarado and it moved TCU to within striking distance with virtually an entire half to play, 2-1.

Alvarado had a chance to tie the match minutes later, only to have her shot attempt blocked before reaching the goalkeeper.

Senior Jordan Calhoun, TCU’s all-time leading scorer and the reigning Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week, had a sterling opportunity to even the match after going down inside the box in the 72nd minute, but her penalty kick attempt was saved by Lee.

After SFA tallied a goal later in the half to make it 3-1, Abdalla began to make substitutions to get fresh legs on the field and push the ball downfield with authority. Senior Kaylie Garcia re-entered the match in the 75th minute and instantly made an impact to TCU’s play. Seven minutes later, the Oklahoma City native made the decision pay-off, pushing her second goal of the season into the Ladyjacks’ net on an assist from senior defender Katie Taylor, moving the SFA lead to 3-2 in the 82nd minute.

Following the score by Garcia, TCU continued to put pressure on the Ladyjacks’ defenders. The Frogs put themselves in a position to even the match in the 84th minute with a corner kick that made its way through the box without a solid shot attempt.

Taylor gave the Frogs one more scoring chance, blasting a free kick to within striking distance of the SFA goal in the 87th minute, but Lee was there again to turn TCU away a final time.

Alvarado paced the Frogs’ offense for the night with four shot attempts, while Calhoun contributed three strikes of her own. TCU tallied a pair of scores for the third match in 2011, moving to 4-4 overall.

TCU will now prepare to host Northwestern State Sunday at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The nationally-televised match will air on The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network and is set to begin at 1 p.m. The Mtn. is available nationwide on DIRECTV, channel 616.