Robby Hirst | Lariat Photographer
Sports Writer
No. 7 Baylor soccer defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 2-0 on Sunday night in Dallas.
The underclassmen came up big again scoring the two goals in the game. After firing the first shot of the game, freshman midfielder Ashley York scored in the 18th minute to give Baylor a 1-0 lead. Sophomore forward Bri Campos helped York score with the assist.
With Baylor’s defense holding on to a slim lead, Campos’s header off a pass from senior midfielder Kat Ludlow gave Baylor a two-goal cushion. The Bears outshot the Mustangs 17 to nine and had seven shots on goal compared to SMU’s two.
Baylor posted its fourth straight shutout, making it the first time in program history to begin the season with four straight shutouts, proving once again that the defense is what leads the team to success. Baylor’s defense kept the potent SMU offense in check and didn’t allow its first shot of the game until the 16-minute mark. Senior defender Selby Polley made a key play before the half blocking an SMU shot from the box.
Baylor continued to hold on to its 1-0 lead, but a critical point of the game gave SMU the opportunity to even the score. After a foul on Baylor, SMU was awarded a penalty kick, but junior goalkeeper Michelle Kloss made a key save to prevent the tying goal.
SMU junior forward Shelby Redman lined up from the right side of the box and Kloss dove to the left to block the shot.
“I’m so proud of Michelle Kloss,” Baylor co-head coach Marci Jobson said. “She worked hard this summer. She read [the penalty kick] right, got there and got a hand on it. That could’ve been a game-changer.”
Kloss has 23 wins as a goalkeeper and is one win away from being third in the program’s all-time list.
Baylor was aggressive throughout the game leading to 18 fouls. It was that aggressiveness that allowed Baylor to control the pace of the game.
Baylor continued to attack the goal from the early start of the game. In the 11th minute, York set up a free kick for sophomore defender Katie Daigle. Ludlow attempted to score but SMU’s sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Moroney saved her header.
Baylor continues to add to its program-record unbeaten streak of 25 matches and has not lost a game in 371 days. The Bears are also unbeaten in the last 11 road matches. Baylor’s 4-0-0 start is the best under the Jobson era and it is one win away to tie the program’s best start.
The Bears will continue with another match on the road at 4 p.m on Friday against Missouri in College Station, Texas.
