Houston soccer defeats TCU for first time in 24 years

Defense and precision were critical factors as Houston soccer defeated Texas Christian University 2-0 at Carl Lewis International Complex on Thursday evening.

Setting the tone from the get-go, Houston broke its 24-year winless streak against TCU dating back to the 2002 season and moved one step closer to clinching a spot in the Big 12 tournament.

With the win, the Cougars extended their conference win total to five, reaching a milestone not seen since 2021, and pushing their record to 9-3-4 overall and 5-2-1 in Big 12 play.

The first 15 minutes of the game were a demonstration of defensive tenacity. Still, in the 19th minute, the Cougars struck first as sophomore forward Bailey Cate assisted junior forward Jada Arthurs to give Houston the early 1-0 lead that it rode all the way to the halftime whistle.

In the 64th minute, Adelhia Ghonda assisted Ava Shannon from just behind the 10-yard box to extend Houston’s lead to two, for the only score of the second half as Houston secured a win against the team that eliminated them from Big 12 tournament contention last season.

Houston finished the game with 11 shots, with eight being on target and zero corner kicks taken. The Cougars’ defense stayed firm, allowing nine shots but only two being on target.

“I think with a bunch of our kids who used to play at SFA, played in the NCAA tournament with them, and then obviously kids here, they never really had much joy against TCU, as you know, 24 years,” coach Ben Williams said. “It’s a great start in the last four games; we still play three really good teams that are all ranked in basically the top 20 in the country: UCF, Kansas and Baylor, so look, we have a very tough run in, but it’s a perfect start for the run.”

Next up for the Cougars is a trip to Orlando, Fla., where they will take on the UCF Knights at UCF Soccer and Track Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 25, with kickoff set for 12 p.m.