Baylor soccer secured its first win of the season after throttling University of Incarnate Word 7-1 on Sunday. Along with the season’s first win, the Bears drew their first tie of the season on Friday.
The Bears’ two-game stretch on the road first saw Sam Houston State host Baylor on Friday. That game went into double-overtime and eventually finished 1-1.
The Bears dominated the Bearkats early, taking 15 shots in the first half. However, Sam Houston managed to find the back of the net first.
After a free kick, SHSU midfielder Mariah Titus chipped the ball over Baylor junior goalkeeper Sara Martinson. Baylor came back quick though, as freshman forward Ashanti Carey netted her first collegiate goal and the equalizer off a rebound.
Even with the Bears’ overwhelming advantage on shots for the match (25-4), Baylor had trouble with finishing opportunities against the Bearkats.
Finishing has been an ongoing struggle for the Bears this season and those problems continued against Sam Houston State.
“We have to come out better at the beginning of games,” Baylor head coach Paul Jobson said. “We did do a good job of coming back to tie it and creating opportunities to win it [against Sam Houston State].”
The second half was the same as the first for the Bears. Baylor again had plenty of chances, totaling 10 shots. However, the Lady Bears could not get another goal.
In the first overtime period, Baylor hit the post twice while a header in the second overtime also barely missed.
The second game of the weekend marked a massive change in form for the Bears.
Sophomore forward Precious Akanyirige scored a pair of goals in the first half, setting the pace the Bears’ blowout of the Cardinals.
In the 14th minute, senior defender McKenna Martin’s header deflected to Akanyirige, who put the ball in the back of the net on a tap-in. Akanyirige struck again in the 23rd minute after receiving a cross from freshman forward Lauren Piercy in the middle of the box.
After Incarnate Word cut the match to a one-goal game in the 48th minute, Baylor put their foot down. Four minutes later, freshman midfielder Julie James scored from the left side of the box off an assist by freshman midfielder Sarah King. King herself scored the Bears’ fourth goal in the 58th minute off a pass from junior forward Marissa Sullivan.
Freshmen Lauren Piercy, Jackie Crowder and Amanda Hoglund scored Baylor’s final three goals, scoring in the 74th, 86th, and 87th minutes respectively. The seven goals scored by the Bears is Baylor’s most in a single game since 2010.
While scoring seven goals was a historic mark for the Bears, another milestone was reached on Sunday. Jobson earned his first win as head coach for the Bears. Jobson had served as assistant head coach to his wife Marci Jobson for many years before becoming the head coach this season.
“Obviously it is nice to get that first win off your back,” Jobson said. “More than anything, though, I’m just glad to see we continued to play the way we’ve been playing. We’ve told the girls that the goals will come and it’s nice for them to see that come true. We were efficient with our shots and were able to take advantage of the opportunities we’ve been creating all season. I’m proud of their effort and focus.”
Baylor hosts four teams this weekend as part of a tournament. The Bears kickoff their weekend against Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
