By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer
Baylor soccer falls to 7-6-3 after a windy match against No. 17 Texas Tech. The 2-0 loss to the Red Raiders is the third time the Bears have been shut out this season.
After a rainout Thursday night, Friday morning was cold and windy. Wind blew straight down the field all game, killing any kick that rose above the players’ heads.
The game started with Texas Tech against the wind, and they struggled to get any offense going before switching sides. Baylor outshot the Red Raiders 10-2 in the first frame, producing five more corners than Tech as well. The Bears weren’t able to find the back of the net, continuing Tech’s success in the first half this season, as the Raiders had outscored opponents 19-3 coming into the match.
TTU’s two goals came soon after switching sides as they were able to more easily get runs going. The first came on a run by freshman forward Macy Schultz along the left sideline. Baylor’s defense collapsed on her, and she was able to leak out a pass to a wide open Kirsten Davis. The junior forward scored the isolation goal in the 55th minute with no one but Baylor goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt within ten yards of her.
The second goal came after a failed Baylor corner turned into a strong counter by the Red Raiders. Sophomore forward Charlotte Teeter got the first shot off, but Wandt was able to fend it off. Unfortunately for the Bears, the ball fell in front, right into Davis’ lap, an easy shot for the Big 12’s leading scorer for goal No. 2 in the 66th minute.
The scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story though. Baylor outshot Tech 20-9, put up seven more shots on goal (11-4), four less fouls (9-13) and six more corners (8-2). Head coach Paul Jobson said Baylor could have won if the Bears had been able to put away their scoring chances.
“Credit to Texas Tech. They found a way to walk out with a victory. We led in every statistical category that we needed to,” Jobson said. “They were able to score and that’s how that works, so we’ve got to do better with our chances in front of the net.”
Before today, Baylor was on the outside looking in for a regular season conference championship, and now they are mathematically eliminated. With only seven wins on the season, hope to continue play into the postseason lies in a sweep through the Big 12 Tournament next weekend. Senior forward Raegan Padgett said the team still intends on focusing forward.
“We just can’t be complacent. We can’t give up on the season. We’ve just got to go and perform again,” Padgett said.
Baylor will play their last home game of the season at 1 p.m. Sunday at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. Being the last home match of the season, Sunday will also be Senior Day. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ as well.
