By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Rain poured down over Betty Lou Mays Field.
But it wasn’t the only thing pouring down on Kansas as No. 9 Baylor soccer racked up three goals on the stormy night.
Senior midfielder Aryanna Jimison scored two goals from outside the box to help Baylor (10-1-1, 3-0-1 Big 12) beat Kansas (8-3-1, 2-1-1 Big 12) 3-1 on Friday night.
“We played really well for the entire game,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “We put ourselves in a position where one mistake didn’t cost us a game, and that’s what we want to be able to do.”
The game between two of the Big 12’s top teams started as a defensive battle. Both teams moved the ball well but were overwhelmed by the opposing defense before they could get shots up, finishing with only three shots in the first 15 minutes.
The Jayhawks picked up the intensity in the 20th minute with back-to-back shots, but fifth-year goalkeeper Azul Alvarez stopped both those efforts. She finished the half with four saves.
Kansas’s swarming defense kept the Bears from moving up the field as the half wound down.
Baylor absorbed the Jayhawks’ constant pressure, forcing them wide and into the box. While the Bears weathered the pressure until there was one minute left in the half.
Jimison received a ricochet off a Kansas defender. She dribbled upfield and ripped a slicing shot from outside the box and nailed it to strike first, a sight Baylor soccer fans have seen all season.
“It was definitely great to get the first goal for the team because we were able to take a deep breath,” Jimison said. “Then also reevaluate going into the second half.”
Baylor went into the half with the lead and the vibes high.
It was clear Jimison was not going to show any signs of slowing down after halftime.
She found herself in her favorite spot: the top of the box. She fired in a low shot right into the corner of the goal, putting the Bears up by two. She followed up with a sliding celebration in front of the Baylor bench, firing up her teammates.
Jimison’s goal made her the Bears’ leading scorer this season with six goals, passing senior forward Lauren Omholt’s five.
Baylor started to sink into its defense after the second goal, while Kansas pushed more efficiently up the field. The Jayhawks got six shots against the Bears in the first 20 minutes of the second half but couldn’t put anything past Alvarez.
Kansas’ pressure didn’t discourage Baylor, as the Bears put away their third goal of the night. Freshman midfielder Brynlee Bohannon received a pass from sophomore midfielder Olivia Hess at the top of the box. Bohannon cut in and ripped a shot into the low left corner.
With a 3-0 lead and time running out, the Bears’ defense battled Jayhawk pressure until the last minute. Kansas snuck away with a goal from midfielder Jillian Gregorski, another late goal the Bears gave up this season.
“We obviously wanted to shut out and hate to get scored on, but it was unlucky, so kind of have to shake it off,” fifth-year defender Natalie Vatter said.
The Bears now lead the Big 12 with the victory, and they look forward to several conference games still to play.
“It’s a great place to be,” Lenard said. “We have a lot of games left, so we’re focused on one game at a time. What matters is where we are at the end of the season.”
The Bears will get a week’s break before they head up north to face Colorado at 8 p.m. Thursday at Prentup Field in Boulder, Colorado.
