Game Recap: TCU Soccer 3, UTSA 1

The 5-seed TCU Horned Frogs hosted the UTSA Roadrunners in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium. The game was deadlocked at a goal for each side as the clock ticked past 81 minutes played. Then the Frogs relentless barrage at goal finally broke through, scoring two goals in two minutes to send TCU into the Second Round.

TCU kept UTSA Goalkeeper Mia Krusinski busy all night, firing 35 shots (13 on goal) and earning corners. Krusinki was incredibly strong all game: showing aggression to prevent entry passes, making acrobatic saves, and stone-walling point-blank chances before TCU broke away in the final minutes.

TCU opened the scoring 12 minutes in when AJ Hennessey sent a corner entry across the box that Gracie Brian connected with one-time towards goal, taking a deflection into the net - the official score may reflect it as an own goal, but it was an impressive set-piece sequence to take the early lead.

The Roadrunners would answer right back with a super set-piece of its own. After earning a foul across midfield, UTSA sent the free kick into the box setting up a powerful header beyond the reach of Lauren Kellett and into the net.

The game would remain tied until that final push in the last 10 minutes of regulation. Tyler Isgrig stepped up to send in TCU’s 8th corner kick on the night. It was punched out by the GK, but to straightaway center at the top of the box where Oli Pena sent a shot that landed at the feet of Kennedy Clountz whose shot ricocheted off Messiah Bright to Brenna Brosam. She put it into the net for what would be the game-winning goal as her first career goal.

Only a few moments later Messiah Bright would go on a run down the wing past the UTSA defense and put a direct shot on goal that was saved by Krusinski, but only as far as Camryn Lancaster who settled it and punched it past the recovering keeper for the insurance goal.

The Horned Frogs improve to 13-4-5 on the season and advance to a Second Round contest with the 4-Seed Michigan State Spartans on Friday, November 18th.