By Peyton Dorsey | Sports Writer
No. 8 Baylor soccer entered its regular season downtrodden after dropping its chance to take the top spot in the Big 12 against No. 7 Texas Tech. The Bears looked to finish on a high note after a physical and rainy defeat.
Baylor (14-3-1, 7-2-1 Big 12) completed the regular season with a physical 2-1 win against No. 25 Houston (11-3-4, 7-2-1 Big 12). Sophomore midfielder Olivia Hess and fifth-year goalkeeper Azul Alvarez were injured while senior midfielder Aryanna Jimison received a one-match suspension.
Misfortune found the Bears quickly. Hess left the field with an ankle injury eight minutes into the match after landing wrong on her opponent’s foot. The injury left Baylor scrambling after Hess played all 90 minutes in the last match with the Red Raiders.
“We had to have a couple players come off the bench after losing Olivia,” head coach Michelle Lenard said. “We have a couple of quality options; hopefully we’ll get her back, but if we don’t, we’ll be ready either way.”
With 49 seconds left in the match, Alvarez threw herself on top of a loose ball, colliding with a teammate and opponent. She successfully stopped the ball but sustained a head injury and was evaluated by athletic trainers. Alvarez was cleared and finished the match.
The other loss for the Bears came as the match began to heat up out of halftime. The officials issued three yellow cards throughout the second half. Jimison and senior forward Lauren Omholt both received cards for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Jimison will miss the first round of the Big 12 Tournament against the Cougars with her fifth yellow card.
“If we don’t have Olivia, losing Aryanna, too, will be a pretty big change to our midfield,” Lenard said. “We do have a lot of players that are willing to do whatever it takes to help this team be successful; it’s a next man up mentality.”
Baylor took the lead in the 16th minute, with a successful penalty kick in the bottom right of the net from Omholt following a foul from the Cougars’ Jocelyn Chinea.
The offenses were well matched in the first half, with both teams getting off seven shots. Alvarez saved one in the first half and kept the Cougars in a scoring drought, while goalkeeper Sierra McCluer saved two of the Bears’ seven shots.
Jimison sailed the ball over the Cougars defensive wall and towards the bottom left of the net in the 54th minute, but McCluer stopped it.
Junior midfielder Noelle Sather sunk one into the bottom right of the net for Baylor off a crafty corner kick on the following play, gaining the Bear’s second goal of the night.
“I saw the ball curling in the air, and I think the wind helped it in,” Sather said. “It feels good to finally have one of those go in.”
The Cougars returned and gained a controversial first goal in the 62nd minute. The officials reviewed the goal for offside, but the call was ultimately upheld and Houston retained its goal.
Baylor waded out six shots from the Cougars in the final 28 minutes to close the regular season with a win.
The Bears reveled in the dominant season ahead of the Big 12 Tournament next week.
“We fight so hard every single game,” Sather said. “This was a great way to finish our regular season and give us some confidence going into the Big 12 Tournament.”
No. 3 seed Baylor takes on No. 6 seed Houston at 8 p.m. Monday at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield.
