By Adam Gibson | Sports Writer
After hosting the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament and advancing to their second straight Elite Eight, No. 11 Baylor soccer’s season came to an end after being shut out 3-0 by No. 2 Georgetown on Saturday in Washington D.C.
The Bears could not get anything together offensively in the first half, failing to get either a shot or a corner kick. The defense had to work much harder for the Bears as the Hoyas got 15 shots off along with six corner kicks.
Sophomore keeper Jennifer Wandt had her work cut out for her, making five saves in the first half and three in the second half. The first goal for the Hoyas came only eight minutes into the match when graduate student forward Kyra Carusa headed the ball in to sophomore defender Kelly Livingstone who put the ball away, giving Georgetown an early 1-0 lead.
Unlike the first half, the Bears were able to get six shots off, four on target in the second half to test the keeper. Wandt kept the game close for Baylor, but the overpowering offense of Georgetown eventually prevailed. The Hoyas found its second goal off a header from Carusa and its third in the 76th minute when junior midfielder Germino-Watnick gathered a deflected ball which she placed in the back of the net.
The Hoyas ended with 24 total shots, 11 on target as the match ended. Despite the loss cutting the Bears season shorter than they wanted, they finished the season with 20 wins for the most in program history. Baylor was also the furthest advancing Big 12 team in the Big 12 for the second straight season.
The seniors left their mark on the program, closing out their career as one of the most successful senior classes in program history with a record of 56-25-8 over their four years. The good news for Baylor is that it could return as many as 19 players for the 2019 roster, including eight starters as it prepares for next season.
