By Nate Maki | Sports Writer
Hoping to end their streak of ties, Baylor soccer took a trip to Lubbock to square off with Texas Tech on Thursday night at the John Walker Complex. Facing a stalwart defense, the Bears lost the tight matchup, 1-0.
The first half was relatively slow-paced, with around 31 throw-ins dragging out the clock and keeping both teams from gaining much momentum. Junior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez was only tested twice by the Red Raiders (10-2-1, 5-01 Big 12), in the 24th and 29th minutes. The Bears (6-5-3, 1-3-2 Big 12) failed to put in a single shot on goal, leading to a blank scoreboard at halftime.
The second half saw similar results, as the Texas Tech defense continued to shut out the Bears. Baylor finally attempted its first shot on goal in the 74th minute off the boot of junior forward Tyler Isgrig. Alvarez, too, showed up in the second half, with two more saves in the 51st and 60th minutes.
The point drought eventually ended in the 62nd minute when a long pass from the midfield had the Bears’ backline caught off guard and a shot from the Red Raiders sailed toward the top of the goal. Junior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez jumped to block the shot, knocking the ball straight upwards. Instead of going clean over the net, however, the ball fell back onto the field and bounced inside the goal for the first and only point of the game, putting the Red Raiders in the lead, 1-0.
The remainder of the second half saw the Bears trying to catch up. Their best chance came from a goal kick by Azul Alvarez in the 80th minute. The kick bumped off of a header from junior defender Hallie Augustyn, putting some serious pressure on the Red Raiders’ back line. Unfortunately for the green and gold, the ball was quickly sent out, and any chance for a win went with it. Baylor had more opportunities as the clock ticked down but failed to put the pieces together, ending the match in a loss.
The green and gold will be back at home to go up against Arizona State (7-2-3, 2-2-1 Big 12) next Thursday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Field.
