No. 23 TCU Blanks Kansas, 1-0

Thursday, October 5

Fort Worth, Texas

7 p.m.

TCU

9-3-2, 5-0-1

Kansas

3-5-6, 0-4-2

Kansas

TCU

No. 23 TCU Blanks Kansas, 1-0

10/5/2023 10:17:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score

Brian scores third game-winner of the season

FORT WORTH - TCU ran its winning streak to six and its unbeaten streak to seven as the Horned Frogs blanked Kansas, 1-0 Thursday night at Garvey-Rosenthal. Gracie Brian's goal in the 40th minute stood as the game-winner. Lauren Kellett tallied one save in the contest to earn her seventh shutout of the year.

The Rundown
It was a chess match in the first half as neither team was able to generate many chances, but it was the Horned Frogs that struck for a goal late in the half.

Zoe Calyer intercepted a pass and fed it to Skylar Heinrich. Her one-touch found Brian sprinting past Kansas defenders inside the 18. She found the right side of the net to put the Frogs up 1-0 in the 40th minute.

The Frog defense was stout in the first half limiting the Jayhawks to just one shot. TCU controlled possession for most of the first half. The aggressive play of the Frogs led to three corner kicks and four shots in the opening 45 minutes.

Defensively in the second half, it was more of the same as the Frogs stopped every Jayhawk advance. The Frog offense stayed aggressive as Brian almost had her second goal of the night in the 70th minute. Bella Diorio's excellent feed found Brian for the header attempt that just missed wide.

Lauren Kellett made her lone save of the night in the second half, easily securing a Jayhawk bid from just inside the 18.

Stat of the Game

15 - Gracie Brian now has 15 career game-winners.

Quotes of the Game
Head Coach Eric Bell
Overall thoughts on the contest
"As I said to the team before, it was a really professional performance by us. We got a good goal at the end of the first half. Then we took care of business, squandering any type of attack or chances that they might have had. I thought as far as their chances, they didn't really create a whole lot. So, that's a credit to the whole team as far as the defending and being on the same page."

On not looking ahead
"I thought the first half was really, really, good. We controlled the tempo of the game for most of the first half. In the second half, things got a little more hairy as they started to press us and turning it into a bit of a track meet. First half was really good and we saw the game out in the second half, which was what we needed to do."

On the midfield play of Oli Pena and Lauren Memoly
"They are both magnificent on the ball. They both fight and have big engines. They can cover a lot of ground over a long period of time. Oli is probably the best holding midfielder in the league. She's unflappable. Memoly's coming into her own. It's really nice to see a kid who really didn't play a whole lot her first two years, one that we had high hopes for, and right now she's coming into her own and really dominating games."

Notes
• TCU outshot its opponent for the 10th time this season.
• TCU had more corner kicks than its opponent for the eighth time this season.
• TCU has not allowed a goal in the last three matches, its longest streak since the 2021s.
• TCU is unbeaten in its last nine Big 12 matches dating back to 2022.
• Gracie Brian scored her sixth goal of the year and the 32nd of her career.
• Zoe Calyer recorded her first career assist.
• Skylar Heinrich tallied her first assist of the year and sixth of her career.
• Lauren Kellett notched her 27th shutout of her career.

Up Next
No. 23 TCU travels to Lubbock, Texas on Sunday to take on No. 7 Texas Tech in a battle for first place in the Big 12. The game is set to start at 1 p.m. and will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.