By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Senior forward Lauren Omholt has been a consistent goal scorer for the Bears. Her speed on the wing and her shooting have been on full display all season, and it didn’t stop on Sunday against Cincinnati.
“I’m receiving great balls from my teammates, so super grateful for that, just playing with amazing skilled players,” Omholt said. “A little bit of it is luck too, finally falling my way.”
In the 48th minute, senior forward Lauren Omholt received a pass from sophomore midfielder Olivia Hess, cut inside at the top of the box and ripped a curling shot into the top left corner, putting the Bears up two as Betty Lou Mays Field erupted.
“When I received the ball, I just thought, let me mix it up,” Omholt said. “I feel like a lot of times I stay wide and look for that cross, but Liv made a great run to pull a defender out, so I knew that was an opportunity for me to cut inside and have that shot.”
No. 11 Baylor (9-1-1) allowed a late goal, but it wasn’t enough as it picked up another conference win over Cincinnati (2-4-4) 2-1.
The Bears started the game offensively much like they did against Oklahoma State.
Baylor put heavy pressure on the Bearcats with quick passing and through balls but couldn’t turn it into a lead.
The Bears went into the hydration break with five shots to Cincinnati’s one.
The Bearcats picked up their attack with long balls through the Baylor defense after the hydration break. Fifth-year goalkeeper Azul Alvarez provided a steady presence in goal for the Bears, making three saves in the first half and keeping a clean sheet.
The Cincinnati defense couldn’t keep its own sheet clean as the Bears pulled ahead in the 36th minute.
Sophomore midfielder Olivia Hess sent a high corner kick over the Bearcats’ goalkeeper, finding junior midfielder Noelle Sather’s feet. Sather took one touch and sent a rocket into the net, putting the Bears up one.
“It’s funny because Noelle scored a goal like that in training a few weeks ago, and she just bombed it in the upper corner,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “I was like, ‘How often do we think she could actually do that?’ It was such a hard angle, and then she does it again.”
Sather scored her third goal for the Bears and her second in two games since her return from playing for the U20 Canadian team.
Baylor has scored first in eight out of its 11 matches this season, showing off its ability to get to the goal and score right from the jump.
The Bears picked up right where they left off after halftime with the Omholt goal.
After the goal, the Bears’ defense took over in the second half with the lead. Baylor allowed zero shots going into the water break, stopping the Bearcats before they could even get to the net.
The Bears’ defense couldn’t hold any longer after the second-half hydration break.
Cincinnati Forward Joy Kimwemwe had been wreaking havoc on the wing all day with her speed. It became too much for the Bears in the 72nd minute.
Cincinnati sent a lofted ball into the box that found the head of midfielder Ava Hendrick, then Kimwemwe headed it over Alvarez to cut the lead in half.
“I think towards the end of these games, we start getting a little bit lax,” senior forward Theresa McCullough said. “When it comes to set pieces and corner kicks, we need to stay in our zone.”
Despite the goal, Baylor’s defense continued to limit the Bearcats’ opportunities until the final whistle.
Hess finished the day with two assists, bringing her total up to four for the season.
The Bears picked up their first all-time win over Cincinnati and the second win of their three-game home stand.
“We have got to learn to manage those little moments a little better, but happy with the result,” Lenard said. “That’s a tough team. [They] don’t concede a lot of goals, so two goals on them, and we had some really other quality chances. Six points on the weekend for us here at home; we’re really happy about that.”
Baylor will look to finish out its homestand with three straight wins when it takes on Kansas at 7 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
