TCU
5-8-3, 0-3-2
Utah
12-4-0, 5-0-0
TCU falls at No. 11 Utah, 4-0
10/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 20, 2006
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Playing in its most trying weather conditions of the season with a wind from the northwest at 15 mph and temperatures in the 40s, the TCU soccer team battled No. 11 Utah to the end with a relentless effort before falling to the Utes, 4-0 on Friday at Ute Field.
Competing in its second of three straight road matches, TCU (5-8-3, 0-3-2 MWC) was unable to faze Utah's suffocating defense which posted its seventh straight shutout en route to its eighth consecutive win.
Facing its third ranked opponent of the season, TCU was led by Michelle Nguyen, who tallied a team-high five shots, including four on goal.
Despite Utah (12-4-0, 5-0-0 MWC) outshooting TCU 10-1 in the first half and controlling the possession for much of the first 25 minutes of play, TCU's defense was able to hold the Utes scoreless until a penalty kick was scored by the Utes' Adele Letro at the 37:59 mark.
With a little over seven minutes remaining in the half, Letro took the ball down the left side of the field on a breakaway where she was fouled in the box on a slide tackle from behind by Caroline Starns, which setup a penalty kick.
On the penalty kick, Letro beat Buchanan to the right side of the net for the first goal of the match.
With the wind dying down in the second half, Utah was able to add to its lead at the 49:51 mark, as Amanda Feigt took advantage of a misplayed ball by Buchanan by lofting a shot from 25 yards out that cleared TCU's defense for Utah's second goal of the match.
Buchanan left the net after she attempted to recover a ball that bounced in and out of her hands and ricocheted out of the box where Feigt was there to loft the shot.
Utah's third goal came at the 62:15 mark, as Letro was able to post her second goal of the match, as she one-timed a pass from Feigt with a diving shot.
Following the Utes' third goal, TCU was able to settle its offensive attack down by controlling longer possessions.
With TCU's offense opening up, Nguyen was able to take the most chances for the Frogs. Nguyen's best scoring opportunity came with a little over 10 minutes to play when she fired a shot from inside the box that was saved by Utah's goalkeeper Lynzee Lee.
Utah's final goal of the match came at the 86:20 mark, as Hailey Marsh scored from 10 yards out on the left side off a long pass from Melissa Crespo.
In the first half, TCU had its first scoring opportunity with 43 minutes to play, as Lizzy Karoly maneuvered around multiple Utah defenders before she was slide tackled in the box by a Utah defender.
With 40:45 to play in the first half, Utah sailed a corner kick into the box that was headed just over the crossbar by Katie Battazzo. Just 41 seconds later, TCU goalkeeper Katy Buchanan made a diving save on a shot by Utah's Adele Letro.
TCU will continue its road swing on Saturday when the Horned Frogs travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face Air Force at 12 p.m.
Team Stats
LETRO, Adele
UT LETRO, Adele PENALTY KICK GOAL.
37:59
FEIGT, Amanda (4)
mishandled clear by keaper 25 yard shot
49:51
LETRO, Adele (9)
Assisted By: FEIGT, Amanda
shot from 12 yards to left side of goal
62:15
MARSH, Hailey (3)
Assisted By: CRESPO, Melissa
long pass 10 yard shot to right side of
86:20
