Soccer: TCU opens Big 12 play with 0-0 draw; wraps non-conference with 5-1 win

Horned Frogs work scoreless draw with Texas Tech before dominant Senior Day win over Cal Poly to close the non-conference slate

TCU Soccer completed its final non-conference game of the 2024 campaign with a crowning 5-1 victory over Cal Poly on Senior Day Sunday following Thursday’s Big 12 Conference opener vs. 2023 regular season champion Texas Tech Red Raiders, a physical battle played to a nil-nil draw.

TCU 0 – Texas Tech 0

Thursday night kicked off the Big 12 schedule for TCU Soccer with a physical battle against the reigning regular season champions. Texas Tech was shown three yellow cards in the match among its nine fouls committed. TCU GK Megan Plaschko again played the hero for the Horned Frogs, stopping all four shots that TTU put on frame, earning her third shut out of the season. TCU had its chances, particularly during the second half when the Frogs controlled much of the pace of play and seemed to be on the brink of breakthrough at any moment. TCU sent seven of its nine shots and earned three corner kicks in the final half, an all out blitz that saw opportunities fall just wide or deflect off a Red Raider defender. Ultimately the Texas Tech defense stood firm, allowing just one of those shots, coming from TCU’s leading Bella Diorio, to be on target, resulting the the scoreless draw. Texas Tech continues conference play on Thursday September 19 back at home in Lubbock vs. the Utah Utes.

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TCU 5 – Cal Poly 1

The Horned Frogs celebrated its decorated senior class and wrapped up non-conference play on Sunday at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium vs. the Cal Poly Mustangs. TCU released some frustration and got its offense rolling, firing off 33 shots with five finding the back of the net. The Frogs got on the board in the 10th minute as an expertly executed give-and-go between Seven Castain & AJ Hennessey had Castain with a clear one-on-one opportunity with the Mustangs keeper, who took down Castain just in front of goal to earn a penalty. Castain stepped to the spot and buried the PK for her fourth score of the season. A few minutes later Castain found a streaking Bella Diorio with a perfect leading pass as Diorio calmly sent it past the keeper to extend the TCU lead. True freshman Abigail Cox played a season-high 48 minutes, assisting on goals scored by Caroline Kelly & fellow true freshman Ainsley Moy for the first goal of her career. TCU similarly surrendered a penalty on a keeper foul in the box as Olivia Geller’s collision with the Cal Poly attacker concedes the PK and results in the Mustangs only score on its only shot on goal for the day.

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TCU improved to 5-2-1 overall on the season and 0-0-1 in Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs get another pair of major home games this week, hosting BYU on Thursday night and Arizona on Sunday afternoon, each broadcast on ESPN+.