By AnnaGrace Hale | Sports Writer
Baylor soccer ended its season after a 1-0 loss against Oklahoma State University on Thursday night at Betty Lou Mays field. After a physical matchup, the Bears fall short of clinching a spot in the Big 12 Conference Tournament by two points.
“We gave ourselves chances,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “We could have caused more harm in the first half. And then you go into halftime, again fourth game in a row, tied and we need to find a way to come out and score. They get one opportunity on a counter attack and unfortunately, I felt like that’s kind of been it for us all season.”
The lone goal of the match came in the 66th minute off a break away for the Cowgirls (11-3-4, 4-2-3 Big 12). Oklahoma State won the 1v1 with Baylor (4-11-2, 2-7-0 Big 12) junior goalkeeper Lauren Traywick and slid the ball near the bottom right corner of the post.
Baylor needed a win to secure a spot in the tournament that will be held in Round Rock this weekend, but unfortunately it fell short.
Olivia Havre | Photographer
The University of Kansas claimed a 2-0 victory against Iowa State on Thursday as well, pushing the Jayhawks to No. 7 in the Big 12 and booting Baylor out.
Baylor and OSU’s match proved to be a physical battle. With 28 fouls and five yellow cards between both teams, players seemed to be dropping like flies. Sixteen of those fouls were against the Bears, four of those athletes claiming cards.
Despite the physicality, Baylor executed 17 shots, three of them on goal. Unfortunately, the green and gold could not find the back of the net. The closest opportunity came from graduate student defender Kayley Ables in the 52nd minute from a freekick at the top of the box. The shot led to limited excitement from the home crowd as the ball hit the crossbar and bounced over. Additionally, junior defender Sarah Hornyak tallied four shots, but none could put Baylor on top.
Baylor’s offense seemed to be clicking in the first half. In its game against Texas Christian University on Sunday, the Bears were held to 4 shots. Thursday’s game had a little over four times that amount, but the squad still went scoreless. This is something the squad has struggled with all season.
“We just had too many opportunities this year, slip away from us, and that’s something that will sting for a while,” Lenard said. “It’ll be a great learning opportunity for the returners, but it’s tough for the seniors.”
The loss came on senior night. Six seniors were honored at the conclusion of the game as they ended their time at Betty Lou Mays Field: Ables, along with graduate students goalkeeper Alyssa Navarrete and forward Taylor Moon, senior middlefielders Maddie Algya and Marissa Gray and senior forward Elizabeth Kooiman.
Olivia Havre | Photographer
“The seniors have played either for four years or five full years and their career [at Baylor] is not defined by this one game,” Lenard said. “They have lots to be proud of over the past four or five years and a lot of that was this season as well. Building something new and different. Being a part of the future of the program. So, I’m disappointed for them that it has to end this way.”
Lenard wraps up her first season in Waco with a 4-11-2 record, and the Bears end at No. 9 in Big 12 rankings missing the postseason tournament.
