TCU Women’s Soccer’s magical postseason run came to a heartbreaking end this past Friday in a 1-0 loss to the eventual National Champion Florida State Seminoles. A goal late in the second half gave Florida State the lead
and TCU was unable to conjure up another comeback thanks to a few excellent saves by the Florida State goalkeeper down the stretch.
The Horned Frog offense created the first high danger chance of the game with a shot on goal in the fourth minute by Sydney Becerra that was saved by the Florida State goalkeeper. Florida State had a solid chance in the seventh minute with a shot that was deflected and a shot on goal that was saved by Olivia Geller for TCU. A corner kick set up another shot on goal for the Seminoles in the eighth minute which was again saved by Geller. Florida State missed the net high with another shot in the 14th minute before TCU had a corner kick in the 17th minute that was defended well by FSU. Both defenses then settled in as the teams combined for one shot attempt over the next 16 minutes of game time. Florida State managed a good chance with a shot on goal in the 33rd minute that was saved by Geller. The TCU offense fell into a bit of a drought as Florida State began to control possessions with shot attempts in the 34th, 37th, and 39th minutes. Grace Vest provided a spark for the Frogs with a shot attempt that missed wide left in the 44th minute. Seven Castain had a solid chance in the 45th minute but the shot missed right and the teams went into halftime tied at 0-0. Florida State led in shot attempts (9-3) and shots on goal (3-1), but the Frogs created some momentum heading into the break with a couple of good chances right before halftime.
The TCU offense created the first chance of the second half with a corner kick in the 49th minute and a shot by Emma Yolinsky in the 55th minute that nearly gave the Frogs the lead but instead hit off the crossbar. Florida State pushed back with a solid chance of their own with a shot on goal in the 61st minute that was saved by Geller for TCU. The Seminoles tested Geller again with a shot on goal in the 66th minute that was saved and a shot on goal in the 68th minute that was saved. Castain had her second good look of the game with a shot attempt in the 71st minute that missed left. Then, in the 73rd minute, Florida State finally managed to sneak one past Geller and into the net as the Seminoles took a 1-0 lead. TCU would need yet another late game goal to extend their season but FSU had the next chance with a shot on goal in the 74th minute that was saved by Geller. The Frogs did create a solid offensive possession resulting in a corner kick in the 76th minute. The cross was deflected by the FSU goalkeeper right to Katana Norman who took a shot that appeared to deflect off of a Florida State defender’s arm, but no handball was called after video review. TCU had one final push in the final seconds of the game as Castain made a great cut to set up a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Unfortunately for the Frogs, the FSU goalie made an excellent save despite a valiant effort from Castain to provide one last magical moment.
This was the deepest postseason run in program history for the Frogs and this team provided countless memories for Frog fans on its way to the first College Cup appearance in program history. Olivia Geller had one of the best stretches at goal keeper in program history during this tournament and the TCU offense time and time again found a way to score clutch goals that will be on highlight reels for years to come. Eric Bell has turned TCU Soccer into a powerhouse and the Frogs will undoubtedly be ready to defend back to back Big 12 titles and make another NCAA Tournament run in 2026.
