By Marissa Essenburg | Sports Writer
The margins get thinner in November.
No. 21 Baylor (14-4-4, 7-3-1 Big 12) rose to meet them on Thursday. In a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup defined by pressure, patience and a handful of game-tilting moments, the Bears outlasted No. 15 Wisconsin (14-6-2, 6-3-2 Big Ten) 1-0, punching their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history.
In a stacked-resume showdown between the No. 4-seeded Badgers and No. 5-seeded Bears — a matchup featuring First Team All-Conference goalkeepers from the Big Ten and Big 12 — the margins stayed razor-thin on both ends. But it was Baylor, powered by a penalty kick from senior midfielder Tyler Isgrig in the last minute of the first half, that found the breakthrough and controlled the moment when it mattered most.
“We have a lot of momentum right now, and we want to carry that into this next game with an offensive mentality,” junior forward Callie Conrad said before the match.
On a frigid 40-degree afternoon in South Bend, Ind., Baylor made good on that plan as the Bears hit the pitch red-hot, riding the surge of the 3-0 first-round win over Texas State that brought them up north.
That plan came to fruition as Baylor struck first. With 35 seconds left in the half, a Natalie Vatter cross sent Hannah Augustyn airborne before she was taken down in the box, colliding with two Wisconsin defenders.
After review, the Bears earned a penalty with 35 seconds remaining. In true Isgrig fashion, the left-footed penalty kick expert buried her 10th goal of the season.
For a back line that has steadied the Bears all season, Thursday proved no different, as Alvarez anchored her defense through the opening 45 minutes, delivering five saves to Wisconsin’s one.
With an Isgrig strike in the 44th minute and an Alvarez first-half shutout, Baylor carried a 1-0 edge into the break.
Wisconsin opened the second half on the front foot, putting Baylor under pressure and forcing Alvarez into overtime as the Badgers ripped 12 shots to the Bears’ three. Chasing her 11th shutout, Alvarez turned away all six shots on frame in a commanding performance.
With a chance to seal it in the 88th minute, Conrad ripped a shot that seemed destined for the net before the Wisconsin goalkeeper got her fingertips to it, and from there it was pedal to the metal.
As time ticked down and the pressure rose, Wisconsin’s 20-10 shot edge and 10-3 corner advantage weren’t enough to break past the Baylor defense. As the seconds dwindled and the final horn blared, the Bears’ first-half goal remained the difference, keeping their season alive and rolling into the round of 16.
“We would love to be together for Thanksgiving this year, still playing soccer and still in the tournament,” Conrad said.
And together they will be, as the Bears advance to face Ohio State (10-4-6, 4-2-5 Big Ten). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Alumni Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN+.
