Arizona soccer faces lingering questions as it closes season at TCU

The Arizona Wildcats were eliminated from Big 12 Soccer Tournament contention last week when they lost to Arizona State. That makes their match at TCU the final game for the team and at least one player.

Fifth-year defender/midfielder Trinity Dorsey will be playing her final college match in Fort Worth. The Wildcat co-captain came back for a graduate year after playing just five matches her sophomore season. She has appeared in 72 matches in her career with 54 starts. This season, she has made 17 starts in 18 appearances.

Six players were honored at Arizona’s senior day two weeks ago, but all but Dorsey have one more year to play after the NCAA’s 5-in-5 ruling this summer. That group includes the two other co-captains on the squad, defender Marissa Arnst and forward/midfielder Ella Weathersby. Goalkeeper Laurynn Ziller, who has saved four of five penalty kicks this season, has another year. So do midfielder Shanti Weddington and defender Aranda Hurge.

The question for the Wildcats is how many will be back at Arizona. That could come down to what happens at the top.

Head coach Becca Moros did not coach at ASU last week because of the red card she received against Baylor the week before. She will be at TCU, but how long she will be with the program after that is open to question. Moros confirmed at last year’s final match that this was the final year on her contract.

The soccer program got a new scoreboard and turf this season, but it’s undeniably true that the program lacks anything approaching good resources. Port-a-potties have been set up behind the benches beyond the east fence during matches. The home locker rooms were once referred to as a ” broom closet” by a former player. There are no locker rooms for visiting teams. The fans are subjected to brutal heat and direct sun during day matches. The restrooms for fans are minuscule.

Meanwhile, Arizona will be visiting TCU which built its field in 2000 and has upgraded it twice since. Those upgrades include putting $1.5 million into a 5,000 square foot field house in 2010. Both upgrades came in the last 20 years.

Other Big 12 athletic departments have made even bigger investments in their soccer facilities, including Baylor spending $3.3 million to build the Williams Family Soccer and Olympic Sports Center in 2015. Kansas opened its 2,500-seat soccer stadium at Rock Chalk Park in 2014.

Even programs that may not currently have the facilities of TCU, Baylor, or Kansas are taking steps to improve their soccer stadiums. UCF is currently pursuing $46 million to build a new soccer and track complex.

The very real issues with resources don’t erase the fact that Arizona has underachieved on the field during the six seasons under Moros. The Wildcats have two winnings seasons during that time and have only won double-digit matches once. They have never been to the NCAA Tournament. This season, they will miss the second Big 12 Soccer Tournament in the three years since joining the conference and end with an RPI around 100.

Up Next for Arizona Soccer

Arizona Wildcats (5-8-5, 2-4-4) @ TCU Horned Frogs (5-9-2, 2-7-1)

When: Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. MST

Where: Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium in Fort Worth, Tex.

Streaming:ESPN+

Stats:Arizona Live Stats

The postseason disappointments come after five NCAA appearances in the seven seasons prior to the departure of former coach Tony Amato. The Wildcats also finished 9-5-1 in 2020-21 under Amato, likely qualifying for the delayed 2020 tournament if it had not been limited to 48 teams that season.

Whether Moros returns or not, a win against the Horned Frogs would send Arizona into the offseason in the best way possible. That would especially be true if the team can show some offensive prowess.

The Wildcats were shut out for the sixth time this season in their match at ASU. Four of those shutouts came in Big 12 play. Their season average has dropped to 1.06 goals per game, which comes in at 14th in the league.

The team has a solid chance against TCU. The Horned Frogs are not an offensively high-powered team, either. They average 1.13 goals per match, which ranks 12th in the conference.

Both teams give up about the same number of goals per match. Arizona surrenders the third-most in the league at 1.39. TCU is ranked fourth at 1.38.

The squads will be fighting for pride on Thursday. TCU is coming off a draw against a West Virginia team that is guaranteed to get into the NCAA Tournament even if it misses the Big 12 tourney. Arizona is trying to rebound from a loss to in-state rival ASU. It’s now or never for both squads.