SOC Battled No. 25 Texas, Records 0-0 Draw

Friday, October 15

7 PM

Baylor

7-3-5, 3-1-2

Texas

8-3-4, 4-0-2

Texas

Baylor

SOC Battled No. 25 Texas, Records 0-0 Draw

10/15/2021 10:43:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score SOC_15_UT

Baylor shut down the Texas offense tonight

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Baylor soccer won't likely face a more dangerous trio than Texas freshmen Lexi Missimo and Trinity Byars and senior midfielder Julia Grosso, a gold medalist for Team Canada at the 2020 Olympics this summer in Tokyo.
            Coming into Friday's game at Betty Lou Mays Field, Missimo, Byars and Grosso had combined for 22 of the 25^th-ranked Longhorns' 28 goals this season, and Byars was one game shy of the school record with a goal or assist in eight-consecutive games.
            Goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt and Baylor's back-line defense shut down what coach Paul Jobson called "probably the most prolific threesome in the country," as the Bears (7-3-5, 3-1-2) and league-leading Longhorns (8-3-4. 4-0-2) battled to a 0-0 double-overtime draw.
            "Probably one of the most dangerous of their plays is when they're keeping the ball, their most creative players are wandering around the field," Jobson said. "They don't have the ball and, all of a sudden, they have it at their feet and they're very dangerous. I thought we did a good job of not being lulled to sleep in those moments and staying with our defensive plan."
            Baylor played its defensive game plan perfectly, with Wandt saving UT's only four shots on goal. But, for the second-straight game, the Bears failed to score a goal.
            "Solid defensively, had some great attacking opportunities," Jobson said, "just didn't fall our way tonight as far as getting it in the back of the next. But, we'll take the result, I guess."
            Texas extended its unbeaten streak to nine-consecutive games and stays atop the Big 12 standings, just one point ahead of second-place TCU (12-2-1, 4-1-1) and a full game ahead of the Bears. The Horned Frogs knocked off West Virginia, 1-0, Thursday night in Morgantown.
            "We played great team defense tonight, especially the back line" said Wandt, who recorded her school-record 52^nd career shutout. "The back line played just rock-solid. Ava (Colberg) and Sarah Hornyak on the outside played great, and then obviously Kayley (Ables) and (Sarah) Norman have been solid for us in the middle day-in and day-out. It was such a team defensive effort. I was just so happy to be a part of it."
            Baylor actually out-shot the Longhorns, 7-6, in the first half, including 3-1 in shots on goal. But, Texas dominated possession in the two 10-minute overtime periods and finished with a 20-14 edge in shots. Missimo had a game-high eight shots, including one on frame, while both of Grosso's shots were on goal.
            "We were prepared," Colberg said of facing UT's dynamic trio. "I thought we shut them down, though. I mean, they didn't score. I thought defensively, we were playing good."
            Colberg also had one of Baylor's best scoring chances at about the midway point the second half, with Texas goalkeeper Savannah Madden having to punch it out over the goal.
            "That was crazy," Coberg said. "I was dribbling, and the ball came back out, and I was like, 'There's nothing else, I have to shoot it.' After I shot it, I thought, 'Oh my god, it's about to go in.' Obviously, it didn't, but it was so cool getting a shot and getting that close to goal"
            Baylor survived an onslaught by the Longhorns, who dominated possession and had a 5-0 edge in shots in the second OT period. Madden's eighth save of the night came in the final seconds of the first overtime on a shot to the bottom center of the net by Hornyak.
            "The shots we took were great opportunities," Jobson said. "They weren't executed perfectly, but they never are. That's why've got to keep shooting. We'll keep firing at it, we'll keep training it, and eventually they'll fall again."
            Baylor, which has lost just once in its last 12 games (6-1-5), will host Iowa State and West Virginia next week before finishing the regular season with a road game Oct. 28 at Oklahoma.

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor and Texas battled it out for the top spot in the conference Friday night drawing a 0-0 overtime draw. The Bears held the Longhorns scoreless after an eight-game streak of scoring a goal.

The first half showed just how physical and tough the game would be with a back-and-forth between the teams to start the half. As Baylor found its rhythm, they ended up winning a lot of balls and controlled most of the minutes to start the game. Back-to-back corner kicks in the21st and 23^rd minutes saw Baylor pushing back at the Longhorn defense but no balls found the net. The first half saw three shots on goal for the Bears on looks from Maddie Algya, Sarah Hornyak, and Olivia Mack.

The second half Texas struggled in the midfield a little bit allowing Baylor to capitalize on winning balls and Ava Colberg contributed to a lot of those. Colberg also got a shot off in the 75^th minute that proved to be the closest of the night, sailing to the top middle of the goal before it was barely booted away by the Texas goalkeeper. Trying to stop this game from going to overtime, Texas took two shots in 85^th and 87^th minute but weren't able to capitalize.

Baylor only got one shot off in the first overtime on a good look from Sarah Hornyak. Proving how dominant the Baylor back line and goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt were tonight, the Longhorns got off seven shots in the midst of both overtimes but weren't able to find the net.

The Bears shut down some of the most dominant offensive players in the nation, including Texas' Trinity Byers who was on an eight-game scoring streak. Baylor was also able to record eight shots on goal tonight to the Longhorns four, although Texas out shot Baylor 20-14.

Wandt, only had to record four saves tonight as the no-goal patrol (otherwise known as the Baylor back line) took care of the rest of the attempts.

Eight Baylor starters played all 110 minutes in tonight's match. Playing quality minutes off the bench were Olivia Mack, Giuliana Cunningham, and Chloe Brown.

HIGHLIGHTS

Baylor recorded eight shots on goal
The Baylor back line shut down the Longhorn offense after they were on an eight-game scoring streak
Sarah Hornyak and Taylor Moon each had three shots
Jennifer Wandt recorded four saves

STAT OF THE GAME
8 – The number of shots on goal the Bears had tonight

TOP QUOTES
Paul Jobson on the game…
"I thought we executed our game plan really, really well. We were solid defensively. This is probably the most prolific threesome in the country, that we actually shut down tonight. I thought we did a great job with that. We sacrificed a little bit of our attack to be able to do that, but I still thought we were real explosive in the attack, had some great opportunities. It didn't kill our attack, but I thought we had some great opportunities moving forward. Solid defensively, had some great attacking opportunities, just didn't fall our way tonight as far as getting it in the back of the net. But we'll take the result, I guess."

Ava Colberg on team defense…
"The whole team definitely stepped up. I feel like we were there at most every ball. Our back line [and] Jen is amazing. I thought we did really good defensively."

Jennifer Wandt on defensive performance…
"We played great team defense tonight, especially the back line. I mean everyone, but the back line just played rock solid. Ava and Sarah Hornyak on the outsides played great, and then obviously Kayley and Norman have been solid for us in the middle day in and day out. It was such a team defensive effort. I was just so happy to be a part of it."

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