By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
Despite trailing at halftime, Baylor soccer managed to tally a pair of second half goals and take down SMU 2-1 Thursday night at Washburne Stadium in Dallas. Thanks to another game-winning goal from junior forward Tyler Isgrig in the 78th minute, the green and gold extended their best start under head coach Michelle Lenard to 5-1.
Early in the match, the Bears challenged the Mustangs (4-3) when sophomore midfielder Theresa McCullough found the net in the seventh minute, but the goal was erased by an offside call. From then on, Baylor was fighting an upward battle when SMU took the lead with a goal in the 11th minute.
The Bears struggled to close out a goal in the first half, with two shots from Isgrig in the 14th and 15th minutes. Baylor added several more shots in the first half with attempts from sophomore forward Callie Conrad and freshman forward Alysiah Lockette, but failed to equalize the score, leaving them down 1-0 at halftime.
The Bears found a renewed offensive effort in the second half after Lenard opted to stay on the field for the teams halftime period, with four shots and three corner kicks in the first 10 minutes. This pressure culminated in junior defender Hallie Augustyn’s second goal of the season, finally tying the score 1-1 in the 56th minute.
Baylor’s defense also found their footing, limiting the Mustangs to five shots and only once testing junior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez.
It wasn’t until the 78th minute that the green and gold finally took the advantage, with Isgrig scoring her second go ahead goal in as many matches. The Bears maintained their advantage to secure the road win and extend their winning streak to five. The streak is the longest since the 2018 season when they won 10 matches straight and reached the Elite Eight.
The Bears will continue their road trip to Iowa City, Iowa to face the Hawkeyes (3-0-2) at 5 p.m. Sunday at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex.
