By Marissa Esenburg | Sports Writer
No. 5-seed Baylor soccer suffered a semifinal exit in the 2025 Big 12 Soccer Championship Wednesday, falling 4-0 to No. 8 BYU at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium in Fort Worth.
Fresh off a thrilling shootout victory over Texas Tech, Baylor found itself in familiar company. Both the Bears (12-4-4, 7-3-1 Big 12) and No. 8 BYU (10-6-4, 4-5-2 Big 12) advanced dramatically, combining for more than 220 minutes of Big 12 soccer — and another 15 in penalty kicks — as the Cougars stunned No. 1 TCU 4-3 in a shootout to set up a semifinal clash between two battle-tested teams.
The last time Baylor lost 4-0 came in 2023, against the very same team that just did it again.
In their sixth all-time meeting against BYU, the Bears wasted no time making their presence felt. Baylor picked up right where it left off, and unlike Monday’s sluggish start, came out on the front foot, pinning the Cougars deep in their own attacking third through the opening ten minutes.
From there, possession tilted in BYU’s favor and never swung back Baylor’s way. Despite the Bears’ early surge, it was the Cougars who struck first, as forward Ellie Walbruch, one of the Big 12’s top scorers, met a cross in the air and headed it home in the 29th minute to give BYU a 1-0 lead.
Less than six minutes later, the Cougars doubled their lead identically, connecting on another header off a cross from close range. It marked just the second time this season Baylor had conceded multiple goals in the first half.
The 12-6 shot advantage told the story of the half, as BYU carried a 2-0 lead over Baylor into the break.
“I don’t think the scoreline right now reflects how that half went,” head coach Michelle Lenard said at halftime. “Unfortunately, we conceded two goals on set plays off mistakes you can’t make in these moments, so now we’ve got some work to do.”
As the second half opened, those adjustments were nowhere to be found, as BYU pressed higher and flooded the attack, taking control of possession and leaving Baylor struggling to find its footing.
Defensive miscues continued to plague the Baylor back line, as the Cougars made them pay once more in the 66th minute. Walbruch found the back of the net for the second time, completing her brace and putting BYU ahead 3-0.
The Cougars sealed it in the 77th minute with their fourth goal of the night, leaving the Bears chasing shadows for the remainder of the match.
With another upset victory secured, BYU improved to 9-0-1 on the year when leading at halftime.
Baylor will now turn its attention to Selection Monday, awaiting its fate in the 64-team NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament. The bracket will be revealed Nov. 10 on the official selection show, streamed live on NCAA.com.
