Nathan Cross
TCU Women’s Soccer: Horned Frogs Salvage a Point with Late Goal
After a successful road trip defeating Texas A&M and Texas State, the Horned Frogs battled their way to a massive point against No. 16 Harvard University on Saturday. Eric Bell and his side played a well fought match against the Crimson, who remained undefeated through seven matches this season.
The Frogs controlled the match from the offset, keeping possession and remaining patient in the build-up. With Michelle Slater and Oli Peña directing the midfield, TCU was balanced when transitioning from defense to attack. They constantly controlled the tempo of the match, and did a tremendous job in switching the point of attack. With the constant pressure exerted on the Harvard defense, TCU jumped out to an early lead when Chaylyn Hubbard assisted Messiah Bright in the 6th minute. It was a congested penalty area with bodies flying to make a block, but Bright squeezed in a shot for her sixth goal of the season.
In her fifth season with the Horned Frogs, Hubbard is having her best yet as she remains disciplined on defense and continues to threaten on the attack. A mainstay in the TCU backline, Hubbard has provided an abundance of security on the right flank. Her ability to carry the ball upfield and move in the role of an inverted fullback has continuously been a crucial part of the team’s success on the attack.
While the Horned Frogs dominated possession, Harvard was content with soaking up the pressure. With their focus on striking on the counter, the Crimson sat back and were patient in finding the perfect time to exploit TCU. It seemed as if the Horned Frogs were going to enter the half a goal to the good, but Harvard equalized with a sumptuous, left-footed strike from Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir in the 44th minute.
The Iceland international only played three games for the Crimson last season, but spent much of her first year on the sideline due to injury. Prior to attending Harvard, Gunnlaugsdóttir had made numerous appearances with the Iceland Women’s National Team. Winning Iceland Young Footballer of the Year in 2019 and the Icelandic Premier League in 2018 and 2020, this young star has loads of experience.
Her experience played in her favor on Saturday when she put the Crimson ahead 2-1 with her second goal of the match in the 55th minute. On the break, Gunnlaugsdottir beat two TCU defenders and curled the ball into the top corner past a diving Lauren Kellett. Harvard couldn’t keep the lead for long as their defense finally broke down after sustaining immense pressure. In the 71st minute, the ball found its way to Bright on the edge of the penalty area, who took it past one defender and lashed it into the back of the net with an emphatic left-footed shot. Hubbard picked up her second assist, and Bright doubled her tally on the night.
While not the result Coach Bell was looking for, a draw was an appropriate result for the two hard-competing sides. While TCU were unable to capitalize on Harvard, it also should not be overlooked that Kellett came up with seven saves to keep the Frogs in the contest. Apart from the two fabulous goals from Gunnlaugsdóttir, Payton Crews and Brenna Brosam did a commendable job of anchoring the backline throughout the match.
The Horned Frogs will have just a few days before their next match on Thursday, where they will host the University of Texas Longhorns in a massive Big 12 contest.
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