SOC Celebrates Senior Day with Victory over Iowa State

Sunday, October 27

Waco, TX

1 p.m.

Baylor

8-6-3, 4-4-0

Iowa State

3-14-0, 0-8-0

Iowa St.

Baylor

Photo by: Baylor Photography

SOC Celebrates Senior Day with Victory over Iowa State

10/27/2019 4:11:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score BOX SCORE

Baylor finished the match with a commanding 25-7 advantage in shots

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            As Raegan Padgett and the rest of the Baylor seniors walked off the field following Sunday's 2-0 win over Iowa State, they knew this was likely their last game at Betty Lou Mays Field.
            "It's sad, like this is my last game on this field," said Padgett, who scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season and 18^th of her career in the first half, "but the season could be far from over. So, you kind of have to keep your focus still on the wins and not so much the first ending. So, it is a little emotional, but also we're just trying to stay focused on the season."
            Bouncing back from a 2-0 loss to Texas Tech, the Bears (8-6-3, 4-4) had their focus squarely on Sunday's game and not the postgame ceremony honoring the seven seniors. Baylor came out firing, taking two shots in the first 75 seconds and outshooting the Cyclones (3-13-0, 0-8-0), 16-3, in the first half.
            Iowa State goalkeeper Georgia Wimmer had four of her eight saves in the first 30 minutes before the Bears finally broke through when freshman Marissa Gray rocketed a shot from 20 feet out to the left side of the net at the 30:47 mark.
            "We've been working in practice on that same shot, and I just happened to hit it and was like, 'Thank God!''' said Gray, who scored her first career goal. "I hit it, but I was moving, so I kind of turned away. Then, I saw people running to me, and I was like, 'What is going on? Wait, I just scored!'''
            It looked like Baylor would take that 1-0 lead into halftime, but Padgett took a pass from Gray and hurdled an Iowa State defender before ripping a shot into the bottom right corner of the goal to make it 2-0 just 29 seconds before the break.
            "Soccer is a crazy game," Padgett said. "There are days when you dominate and walk away with a loss, and days you dominate and walk away with a win. So, we're just glad we could put some away today in the last home game and head away for our last Big 12 game next week with a win."
            After their most first-half shots in more than two years (16), the Bears added nine more in the second half and finished with decisive edges in shots (25-7) and shots on goal (11-1). Iowa State's one shot on goal was the lowest by a Baylor opponent this season.
            In addition to Padgett, the seniors honored in the postgame ceremony were Maggie Burton, Danielle Hayden, Kylie Ross, Camryn Wendlandt, Audrey Johnston and Halee Sowinski.
            "It's a pretty unique group," Baylor coach Paul Jobson said. "They've all got totally different stories, and I think their uniqueness really defines who we are as a team. it's not a cookie cutter group at all. . . . They've all played different roles. It just really defines who we are as a team, as a whole."
            Baylor closes out the regular season with a game against 13^th-ranked Oklahoma State (13-1-3, 6-1-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Stillwater, Okla. The Cowgirls have won six in a row and can clinch the conference championship with a win or a Texas Tech loss to Kansas State.
            The Bears, already assured a spot in the Big 12 Championship that begins next Sunday in Kansas City, Mo., can finish anywhere from fourth to eighth in the Big 12. Baylor, 48^th in the latest RPI rankings, is trying to make its third-straight NCAA Tournament after back-to-back Elite Eight appearances.

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Behind a pair of goals in the first half, Baylor soccer (8-6-3, 4-3) topped Iowa State (3-13-0, 0-7) by a final score of 2-0 Sunday afternoon at Betty Lou Mays Field. The match also served as Senior Day for the Bears as Baylor honored seven seniors after the game.

The Bears were determined to make their last regular season match of 2019 at Betty Lou Mays one to remember as Baylor fired off shot after shot. BU took its first shot attempt merely 22 seconds into the match as Raegan Padgett took the ball from midfield and booted a shot from inside the box that Iowa State keeper Georgia Wimmer saved.

Wimmer finished with eight saves on the afternoon as the Bears fired off 25 shots, 11 of which were on goal. Iowa State made a team save in the first half when a defender ran in to kick the ball away from the goal line off a shot attempt from a corner.

Baylor had plenty of good looks at the goal in the opening half with seven shots before Iowa State's first shot attempt and 11 shots before the Bears got on the board.

In the 31^st minute, Marissa Gray took the ball at the top of the box, made a few moves and delivered a ball to the left side of the net for her first career goal.

Fifteen minutes later, Gray delivered the assist to Padgett who was sprinting down the left sideline. Padgett hurdled an Iowa State defender before sending a shot into the bottom right corner of the goal. The score put Baylor up 2-0 and marked the sixth goal of the season for the senior.

Defensively, Baylor held the Cyclones to only seven shots on the day with only one shot attempt on goal which marked the lowest shot on goal total by a Baylor opponent all season.

HIGHLIGHTS

Baylor's 16 first-half shots marked the most since Aug 18, 2017, when the Bears put up 19 in the first half vs. Louisiana. Half of those shots vs. the Cyclones in the first half were on frame.
Marissa Gray netted her first career goal in the 31st minute.
Raegan Padgett scored her sixth goal of the season in the 45th minute. Padgett has now tied her total from a year ago. She also leads BU this season in goals.
Baylor becomes just the third Big 12 squad this season to defeat Iowa State by multiple goals.

STAT OF THE GAME
7 – Number of seniors who were honored after the game: Maggie Burton, Danielle Hayden, Kylie Ross, Camryn Wendlandt, Audrey Johnston, Raegan Padgett and Halee Sowinski.

TOP QUOTE
Paul Jobson on the senior class…
"It's a pretty unique group. They've all got totally different stories and I think their uniqueness really defines who we are as a team. It's not a cookie cutter group at all. Some have been here two years as transfers and some have been here all four years, and they've all played different roles. It just really defines who we are as a team as a whole."

Raegan Padgett on Senior Day…
"You're like, 'It's so sad. It's my last game on this field, but the season could be far from over. You kind of have to keep your focus still on the wins, so it is a little emotional but also we're just trying to stay focused on the season."

Marissa Gray on her goal…
""I kind of saw it. I hit it but I was still moving so I kind of turned away. Then I saw people running to me and I was like, 'What is going on? Wait, I just scored.'"

UP NEXT
Baylor travels to Stillwater to battle a Top-25 Oklahoma State team. From there, the Bears will head to the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City.

www.BaylorBears.com