Frogs Show Resilience: Fall to Northwestern, Top Aggies Late

After a tough first loss, TCU bounced back with an a late game winner over Texas A&M in their home stand.

TCU Celebrating goal against Texas A&M | Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/TCU Horned Frogs On SI

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s soccer team had an up-and-down but exciting week, highlighted by two big home games. The Frogs battled hard in each match, and here’s a look at how things played out.

On Thursday, the No. 4 TCU women’s soccer team fought hard but dropped its first match of the season, falling 1-0 to Northwestern at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The Wildcats struck early, scoring in the seventh minute on a shot from outside the box.

The Frogs spent much of the first half on the defensive side, but held Northwestern to just two shots in the opening 45 minutes — one of which happened to find the net. TCU’s lone first-half chance came in the 14th minute when senior Seven Castain fired a shot on goal, but it was saved. A bit surprising for a team that usually controls possession, the Frogs struggled to generate consistent offense.

Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/TCU Horned Frogs On SI

The second half played out in a similar fashion. TCU managed four shots, doubling their first-half total, but still couldn’t find the back of the net. The best look came in the 75th minute, when Cam Patton weaved through defenders and ripped a left-footed strike from outside the box that glanced off the crossbar. That would be the closest the Frogs came to leveling the match, as they failed to register another shot on goal or earn a corner in the half.

Despite the result, goalkeeper Kira Ybarra stood tall. She went the full 90 minutes and finished with five saves — four of them in the second half — to keep TCU within striking distance.

The loss marks TCU’s first at home since Aug. 20, 2023, when they fell to No. 6 Florida State.

The No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs bounced back, securing another in-state victory Sunday night. They edged out soccer rival Texas A&M 2-1 thanks to an 86th-minute game-winner from senior AJ Hennessey.

The Horned Frogs flipped the script from their last outing, controlling much of the first half with sharp possession and steady pressure in Texas A&M’s half of the field. Seven Castain nearly broke through in the 17th minute, but her shot was blocked. TCU finished the opening 45 with four shots while limiting the Aggies to just two, showcasing a complete defensive effort.

To start the second half, the Frogs came out with the same high intensity and control as they did in the first half. In the 52nd minute, Castain passed a ball down the field to Emma Yolinsky, who fed Sydney Becerra close to the box. Becerra showed a quick half-turn dribble move and put an amazing shot that sneaked into the right part of the goal and put the Frogs up 1-0 early in the second half.

However, Texas A&M would answer, scoring their matching goal in the 58th minute to level the game at 1-1. TCU did not lose its strong offensive intensity and put three shots on goal throughout the following minutes, but could not get one to break through.

In the 86th minute, Sydney Becerra drew the Aggie defense toward the middle before finding Emma Yolinsky out wide on the left. Yolinsky fired a shot on target that was saved, but the rebound fell perfectly to AJ Hennessey, who headed it home to give TCU the late lead and, ultimately, the win.

Olivia Geller with the save | Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/TCU Horned Frogs On SI

TCU goalie Olivia Geller had an amazing performance playing all 90 minutes in goal, posting a save.

With the win, TCU continued its trend of late-game heroics, now securing three victories this season with goals in the final 10 minutes against UTSA, Texas, and Texas A&M.

The Frogs have also taken four of the last five meetings with the Aggies and remain perfect against in-state opponents this year.

AJ Hennessey’s game-winner marked the 11th goal of her career and her second this season, while Sydney Becerra notched her first as a Horned Frog and 14th overall. Seven Castain added her second assist of the season and 13th of her career, and freshman Emma Yolinsky recorded the first assist of her young TCU career.

The Horned Frogs will return to action Friday, September 12 at 7 pm at home.