Soccer: TCU’s Seven Castain scores four goals in 6-1 win at #14 Colorado

The Horned Frogs dominated the Buffaloes in Boulder to remain unbeaten in Big 12 play.

No. 22-ranked TCU Soccer went on the road to Boulder for one of the toughest tests in the Big 12, taking on No. 14 Colorado in a battle with major conference standings implications. The Horned Frogs brought the fireworks, finding the net three times in the first five minutes and never letting off the gas pedal, ultimately emerging with a monumental 6-1 victory.

The game did not look to be such a dominant day for the Frogs from the start as Colorado drew a foul on TCU defender Maddie Mooney at the one-minute mark just across midfield. The Buffs sent the free kick deep into the box where a series of headers were saved off the line before Colorado finally got a final touch into the goal for the game’s opening score. Undeterred, the Frogs were quick to strike back and never slowed down. TCU found an equalizer just 90 seconds later as Oli Pena found AJ Hennessey inside the box and she placed the shot through the CU defenders and past the keeper to even the score 1-1

Then began the Seven Castain show. The junior forward consistently has huge performances in big time games and she put out an all-timer on Saturday. Her first score of the day came from the penalty spot, earned via Bella Diorio’s entry cross being swatted down by a CU defender’s hand in the box. Castain stepped up and delivered the powerful strike past the diving keeper to give the Frogs the early lead and maintaining Castain’s perfect 3-3 record on PK attempts. Just 30 seconds later on the next TCU possession, Castain sent a perfect through pass to a streaking Diorio who turned on the jets to blast past the Colorado defensive line and slotting the left-foot shot into the net.

TCU took a ten minute break from scoring, but a terrific slide tackle from TCU defender Evie Baker halted a Colorado counter attack, leading to a Cam Patton perfectly struck cross into the box where Castain sliced in front of the defender and got a true touch on it to direct the ball inside the near post and increase the TCU lead to 4-1. The superb half continued in the 25th minute as Castain secured her first career hat trick as the Oli Pena pass split the Colorado defenders and Castain struck it across goal and inside the far post. The rout was fully on in Boulder.

Castain would add to her tally in the second half as the Colorado defense was pressed far forward in the attacking half when an Olli Pena through ball into space sent Castain on on a breakaway and a one-on-one with the keeper whom Castain simply sprinted past and put a sure shot on the open goal to extend the TCU lead to 6-1.

While Castain’s four-goal day is the headline as the National Player of the Week, there were many standout performances to deliver this dominant victory. Oli Pena was everywhere on the pitch and delivered three assists. Hennessey & Diorio added goals to their impressive seasons, the defenders held a terrific Colorado squad off of the ball and away from scoring opportunities, while goalie Megan Plaschko made three saves.

The Horned Frogs had this performance against one of the country’s best defensive back lines and a brick wall in front of goal. In a single game, TCU doubled the Buffaloes season-long goals-allowed total, having conceded six total scores in its previous 12 games combined, before surrendering the six to the Frogs on Saturday. Colorado goalkeeper Jordan Nytes entered the game with eight shutouts on the season, allowing just 0.42 goals per game, previously ranking in the top ten nationally before giving up the five goals in the first half and being subbed for Jamie Campbell at the break.

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NEXT: TCU Soccer will host its final home games of the regular season, with a showdown vs. conference-leading West Virginia Mountaineers on Thursday night and Arizona State Sun Devils on Sunday in Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium, both to be broadcast on ESPN+.