Aug. 12, 2007

FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU soccer team will begin its preparations for the 2007 season on Monday, as the team opens two-a-days with an early morning practice.

Horned Frog head women's soccer coach Dan Abdalla welcomed 29 student-athletes back to his squad on Sunday.

"I'm just excited to get this thing going," Abdalla said. "It's always exciting to get back onto the field and see what you have to work with."

The Horned Frogs return eight starters from last season's 6-8-4 team and await the return of senior Angie Nickens and Lauren Pope, who despite missing the final 11 games with a leg injury was TCU's second-leading scorer with four goals last fall.

Although TCU loses two-year starting goalkeeper Katy Buchanan, the Horned Frogs return 84.2 percent of its scoring and have added a talented crop of newcomers this fall. TCU's recruiting class was nationally ranked 40th by Soccer Buzz Magazine. Overall, the Horned Frogs return eight of 11 starters and 14 letterwinners from the 2006 season.

The TCU soccer program will open its regular season Aug. 31 against Texas. The Horned Frogs will have two exhibition matches against Stephen F. Austin on Aug. 22 and Oklahoma State on Aug. 25.