TCU Soccer’s Keys to Success as They Seek Second Road Win this Week
Coming off a thrilling win on the road against #14 West Virginia on Thursday, the #11 ranked Horned Frogs look to keep their winning streak alive against Iowa State today in Ames.
Although the Frogs have found success against the Cyclones in recent years (5-2-2 overall in the Big 12), playing the Cyclones on the road has proven more difficult (2-2-1). That said, Iowa State fell to Texas Tech on Thursday and has struggled against Top-15 ranked opponents this season each of the three times they’ve played against them -while Thursday’s game against WVU was TCU’s third win over a ranked program on the season.
Aside from the confidence these statistics may bring for the Frogs, there are other key factors they’ve demonstrated all season that they’ll carry with them Sunday afternoon: unparalleled team culture, grit, a deep bench of talent, and outstanding leadership.
The Frogs have celebrated several milestones in recent weeks, including Coach Eric Bell’s 100th win as Head Coach since joining the program and repeated offensive and defensive player of the week honors (shout out to Brandi Peterson on your DPOW three-peat for the season and sixth time overall). A scan of both coach’s and player’s social media provides a glimpse of how much they all celebrate one another in a genuine fashion not only for wins and honors but also birthdays and personal milestones all the same.
When players are this close-knit and each other’s biggest fans, magic follows when they play. Strong culture starts with strong leadership, and under the banner of Coach Bell and his coaching staff, it’s evident what they’ve fostered has meant culture is king for these queens of the pitch. From the starters to subs, the talent runs deep on the Horned Frog bench – and the strength of the culture is most evident when TCU’s newest and youngest players rise to the challenge and absolutely shine under pressure as a perfect complement to the consistently strong performance from the veterans of the squad.
While the team and its play aren’t perfect, it’s been impressive to watch how their collective play flows and evolves more successfully in each game. Sitting atop the Big 12 overall by ranking and number of goals, assists, and goals against provides further testament for this team’s formula for success.
The Horned Frogs this season are gritty, intense, passionate, and hate to lose as much as they appear to love each other and love the game. It’s the definition of a winning combination – and we’ll all see at 1 PM CST on ESPN+ if that is enough to keep the winning streak alive.