Soccer team to host the Lumberjacks Friday

Following a 1-0 victory over Northwestern State University in which senior Jordan Calhoun became the program’s all-time points leader, the Frogs look ahead to hosting the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks on Friday.

The Frogs have two games remaining before they open conference play against UNLV on Sept. 30.

Northern Arizona struggled this year out of the gate, losing its first six matches. Since then, the Lumberjacks have somewhat righted the ship, tying twice before picking up their first victory of the season by defeating Embry-Riddle, 3-1.

The Frogs split their matches last weekend, losing 3-2 to Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches before winning at home.

TCU is 2-2 at home this season and many of its matches have been defensive battles, with freshman goalkeeper Alicen Wright allowing less than one goal a game.

She has given up eight goals in nine games and has four matches with no goals allowed this season, but the Frogs have been shut out three times.

All three of Calhoun’s goals have come in 1-0 wins.

The Frogs have received major contributions from multiple freshmen. Wright and forward Tori Hale, who leads the team in shots, are true freshmen.

Northern Arizona Head Coach Andre Luciano said the Frogs will pose a serious threat to NAU.

“TCU will be a very athletic team with some dangerous players,” he said. “Jordan Calhoun is their all-time points leader and is a dangerous threat, and Hale is a quick, dynamic player up top as well. TCU’s philosophy is to keep numbers behind the ball and keep the ball in front of them, so it will be a spirited battle.”

Although NAU struggled early, the team did lose two of its first six games after forcing overtime. Those moral victories balance against disappointing showings against major programs, where the team lost to the University of Nebraska, 8-1, and Arizona State University, 7-0.

The teams have one mutual opponent so far this year. NAU lost to the University of Missouri, 3-0, while the Frogs fell 2-0. The two squads have met once before in 2008 at NAU in which TCU won, 1-0.

The game will be broadcast live on The Mtn.