By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer, Gierra Cottingham | LTVN Reporter
After weeks on the road, Baylor soccer played under the lights at Betty Lou Mays Field for the first time this season, shutting out Louisiana Tech University 3-0 Thursday night.
Head coach Michelle Lenard and the Bears (2-1-1) started slow but kept Louisiana Tech (2-2-1) offensively in check. Baylor tallied 18 shots compared to the Bulldogs’ seven, with only one coming in the second half.
“I felt like we definitely dominated the majority of the game,” Lenard said. “ Would like to see us get an earlier start on scoring goals. Think that we could have scored earlier and more. I think we could have been a little hungrier earlier in the game and made it a little bit more exciting for our fans in the first half. That’ll be our priority next game — but certainly, always happy to have a win, especially at home.”
The match stayed scoreless until the 43rd minute, when freshman midfielder Theresa McCullough found space to deliver a pass inside the 18-yard box to senior midfielder Ashley Merrill. Merrill was able to net the opportunity, scoring her second goal of the year and giving the Bears the lead. The senior played the entirety of the first half and put pressure on the Bulldogs throughout with four shots — the most of any player.
After finding the back of the net, the Bears headed into halftime hanging onto the 1-0 lead, capped off by sophomore goalkeeper Ashlee Zirkel recording a diving save with under a minute left on the clock.
Coming out of the half, the green and gold had an intimidating aura leading to an aggressive attack and constant pressure on the visitors. In the 55th minute, graduate student Jenna Patterson found a hole in the defense off of a corner kick and looked to score.
“Jenna and I kind of switched sides at that moment because when I take corners, sometimes I’ll end up switching positionally,” sophomore forward Tyler Isgrig said. “ I ended up dropping into the midfield and receiving it, having four midfielders instead. I looked up and saw her making that run, so I just tried to slip it right where she could get easier and finish.”
Isgrig did just that, sending the pass right through the defense and earning an assist after Patterson found the back of the net for the first time in two years.
“It felt really good,” Patterson said. “First not only home goal, but first goal of the season — and counting last season for me. So that was really nice. It is unfortunate that it did take us so long to get going, but once we did, obviously you could see the potential of what we have there.”
Up 2-0 early in the second half, the Bears added on in the 64th minute. After dropping a dime earlier in the half, Isgrig found room and scored her second goal of the season off an assist from freshman forward Callie Conrad.
The quick goals and stout defense from the Bears in the second half proved to be too much to overcome for Louisiana Tech. Behind good goalkeeper play from Zirkel in the first half and senior Makinzie Short in the second half, Baylor’s defense thrived.
“We didn’t give up too much in terms of good opportunities on goal,” Lenard said. “Most of the opportunities that they had came from counterattack moments in the midfield where we had some floppy turnovers. So we have got to be better, or we will be punished for that if we continue to make those types of mistakes in the midfield. But our defense did their job.”
With friendly fans in the stands, the Bears used the home-field advantage for the first time this season and gave the gift of a 3-0 shutout win.
“It’s so fun to be home, and it’s so much easier than sleeping in hotel beds and traveling,” Patterson said. “It’s so awesome, and our fans were great tonight. And the band, amazing. Couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Baylor will head back on the road and take on Butler University at noon Sunday at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis.
