Heuchan’s heroics lift Kansas past TCU, 2-1
FORT WORTH, Texas – After enduring more than 756 days between goals, junior forward Lois Heuchan sent in a pair within 45 minutes to help the Kansas Jayhawks to a 2-1 win over the TCU Horned Frogs Friday night at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium. The Jayhawks claimed the sixth unbeaten result in their last seven outings and earned their third-straight victory on TCU’s home turf.
The win moved Kansas to 7-3-2 on the year and 2-0-0 in Big 12 play. The loss dropped gave the Horned Frogs their second loss of the year at 8-2-1 and moved them to 0-2-0 in Big 12 play.
“I thought we played really well in the first half, but TCU really took it to us in the second half,” said head coach Mark Francis. “In the end, I think we were able to pull it out because of our grit and how we were able to fight and battle until the end. I was very proud of the team today. This is a good victory for us.”
For the sixth time this season, Kansas got on the board first with the help of a goal within the opening 20 minutes of the match. At the end of a run into the heart of the TCU defense, senior Tayler Estrada played a pass into the Horned Frogs box. The TCU defender deflected the pass, however Heuchan was there to meet the deflection. The junior let the ball take one bounce before heading it inside the right post of the TCU frame. The goal was Heuchan’s first of the season and first since her freshman campaign in 2014.
KU continued to keep the pressure on the TCU back line over the rest of the first half. Heuchan nearly put in her second goal of the game when she got on the end of another piercing Jayhawk cross. This time though, TCU keeper Courtney Hofer was there for a diving save. Senior Hanna Kallmaier also came within inches of giving the Jayhawks a 2-0 lead. In the 23rd minute, Kallmaier got a shot off from the top of the TCU six-yard box, but the try slammed off the right post and out of harm’s way.
The Horned Frogs got one back just moments into the second half. A poor clearance by the KU defense gave McKenzie Oliver an uncontested shot from the top of the Jayhawk box. Her high-arching attempt slipped under the crossbar and pulled the Horned Frogs level only 78 seconds into the second period.
The Kansas offense didn’t waiver and reclaimed the lead less than 12 minutes later. Senior Jackie Georgoulis sent an on-point pass downfield to a streaking Katie McClure, who used some fancy dribbling to evade a defender and find an opening at the top of TCU’s 18-yard box. The freshman then played a pass across the box to Heuchan who had gotten in behind the Horned Frog defenders. With a one-on-one look between herself and TCU keeper Katie Lund, Heuchan slotted a shot home past the freshman keeper to notch the first multi-goal game of her career.
The Jayhawks were forced to withstand several tense moments down the final half-hour of the match as TCU refused to concede the game without a fight. In the 66th minute, the home side saw a handful of chances that nearly brought the Horned Frogs level. A close range attempt from a TCU striker was saved off the line from senior defender Morgan Williams. Seconds later, the Horned Frogs found themselves on the right side of a breakaway, however KU goalkeeper Maddie Dobyns came up with one of her five saves of the night.
The Horned Frogs ended up outshooting Kansas 9-4 over the final 30 minutes, however none of those attempts managed to make it to the back of the KU net. After some frantic TCU attempts at the equalizer the final whistle sounded and gave the Jayhawks their third-straight win on the Horned Frogs’ home pitch.
For just the fourth time this season, the Jayhawks were outshot in a match after TCU posted 13 shots to KU’s 10. Heuchan and Estrada led the KU offensive attack with three shots apiece. On the defensive end, Dobyns collected five saves on the night and earned her seventh win in goal this year.
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will continue their Lone Star State road swing when the take on the Texas Longhorns on Sunday, Oct. 2. KU and UT are slated to kick off from Mike A. Myers Stadium at 1 p.m. The match will be televised on Longhorn Network.
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