Diorio and Pena Headline Big 12 Awards
10/29/2024 12:27:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Ten Horned Frogs were named to All-Big 12 teams
FORT WORTH – TCU soccer's Bella Diorio and Oli Pena highlight a group of 10 Horned Frogs who were honored by the Big 12 on Tuesday. Diorio was named Forward of the Year while Pena notched Midfielder of the Year honors. Head coach Eric Bell was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for the third time in his tenure at TCU.
TCU's 10 selections led the league and the six first-team selections are the most in program history.
Head coach Eric Bell earned his third Big 12 Coach of the Year honor as he guided the Frogs to an unbeaten Big 12 record (9-0-2) for the second time under his leadership (2021). The Frogs clinched the Big 12 regular season title for the third time in five years (2020, 2021, 2024) with a 2-0 victory over Oklahoma State. The award marks the fourth time in program history a TCU head coach has been named coach of the year (David Rubinson - 1997, Bell - 2020, 2021). The Frogs lead the Big 12 in goals (48), assists (44) and shots (325).
Diorio, a unanimous selection, has netted 11 goals in 2024 while adding four assists for 26 points. Her 11 goals are tied for tops in the league with fellow Frog forward, Seven Castain. Diorio ranks 21st nationally in goals scored and is tied for 22nd in the country in game-winning goals (4).
Pena has produced a strong senior campaign and has been the catalyst for the Frogs' offensive outburst in 2024. She leads TCU with nine assists which is tied for fourth in a single-season in program history. Pena leads the Big 12 and ranks tied for eighth nationally in assists.
Morgan Brown, Seven Castain, Caroline Kelly and Maddie Mooney joined Diorio and Pena on the first team.
Brown has started 11 of 17 games at midfielder as a true freshman. Brown became the first freshman in program history to garner All-Big 12 first-team accolades. The Wylie, Texas native, has produced four goals while adding two assists for 15 points this season. Three of her four goals have been game-winners. Brown also earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Castain notched 11 goals this season which is tied for the team lead and Big 12 lead while being tied for 21st nationally. Castain exploded for four goals in the 6-1 ranked road win over No. 14 Colorado. She notched the 19th hat trick in program history and was the third player in program history to achieve the feat of four goals in a contest. Castain has added five assists for a team-high 27 points while leading the Frogs with 58 shots this season.
Kelly did not start a game all year yet still notched double-digit goals with 10 in 17 games played during the regular season. She ranks fourth in the league and 39th nationally in goals scored. She boasts three game-winning goals and has contributed two assists for 22 points on the season. The graduate transfer collected two braces in wins against BYU and UCF.
A steady defender for the Frogs, Mooney has started 15 of 18 games this season. She has played the entirety of seven matches in 2024 and ranks second on the squad with 1,301 minutes played. She netted a goal in the 3-1 win against West Virginia. Mooney helped the Frogs claim seven shutouts.
Jennie Immethun, Lauren Memoly and Megan Plaschko represented the Frogs on the second team.
Immethun made 15 starts this while playing the entirety of six matches. She helped the Frogs notch six shutouts and has been on the pitch for almost 1,200 minutes.
Memoly has been a mainstay in the TCU lineup this season. She is one of just five Horned Frogs to start all 18 games this season. She tallied two goals for four points and ranks fourth on the team with 1,260 minutes played.
Plaschko, a graduate transfer, tallied seven shutouts in her lone season as a Frog. She posted a record of 10-1-1 in goal while making a team-high 35 saves. Her goals against average of 0.88 ranks fifth in the Big 12 and eighth for a single season in program history.
Cameron Patton started 17 out of 18 games while posting one goal and three assists as a defender en route to earning a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Patton played the entirety of 11 matches in 2024. She leads the squad with 1,497 minutes played this season.
No. 9 TCU is back in action on Saturday at 2 p.m. as it will take on the winner of Utah/Colorado in the Big 12 Quarterfinals.
