TCU women upset #22 Utah
Published 10/30/2007 2:15:59 PM by staff from tcusoccer
Lizzy Karoly netted two goals in the first half to lead TCU to a 3-0 conference victory over No. 22 Utah Friday night at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The Horned Frogs won the match, pressuring the Utes with a solid offense and key defensive stops throughout the night. "I thought it was the most consistent game that we've put together this season. I was very happy with our defense and how they allowed our offense to get forward," said head coach Dan Abdalla. Karoly, a sophomore from Escondido, Calif., put TCU on the board in the 21st minute off an assist from Chelsea Cody. The goal marked Karoly's fourth goal of the season and 10th of her career. Karoly found the net again at 31:14 mark, scoring from inside the box off an assist from senior Angie Nickens, who was playing in her final match at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. Finally, freshman Nikki Wilbur gave TCU the 3-0 advantage off a corner kick from Michelle Nguyen. On the play, Wilbur took the pass from Nguyen and headed the ball into the back of the net, beating Utah goalkeeper Lynzee Lee in the 43rd minute. The goal marked Wilbur's first collegiate goal. In the second half, Nguyen looked to increase the lead to 4-0, but had her shot blocked by the Utah defense. Jackie Torda tried to crack the scoring column in the 61st minute, but also had her shot blocked by the Utes. In the 77th minute, Utah's Adele Letro looked to put Utah on the board with a penalty kick attempt, but had her shot saved by TCU goalkeeper Kelsey Walters to preserve the shutout. Walters had a big night in goal, saving 10 balls, including seven in the second half. With the win, TCU, who improved to 8-9-0 on the year and 3-3-0 in conference action, snapped Utah's 13-match unbeaten streak, while Utah, which hadn't lost since Sept. 6, moved to 10-3-4 and 2-1-2 in the MWC. Overall, TCU led the Horned Frog offense with four shots, including four on goal, while Nguyen and Torda chipped in with two apiece. With the win, TCU has now surpassed its combined conference win total from the past two seasons. The win, which propelled TCU to 6-3-0 at home this fall, marked the final game for seniors KJ Brozena, Angie Nickens, Lauren Pope, Lesley Parkinson and Kim Thompson. "The seniors have meant so much for our entire program and I can't describe how much I appreciate everything they have done over the last couple of years," said Abdalla. The Horned Frogs will next be in action on Nov. 2 against San Diego State. Start time for the contest is set for 7 p.m. at the SDSU Sports Deck.
Label: TCU soccer, Utah soccer, Lizzy Karoly, Nikki Wilbur, Michelle Nguyen, Angie Nickens
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