SOC Defeats Texas Tech, 3-2

Thursday, September 30

7 PM

Baylor

7-2-3, 3-0-0

Texas Tech

9-2-1, 2-1-0

Texas Tech

Baylor

SOC Defeats Texas Tech, 3-2

9/30/2021 10:17:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score SOC_12_TTU

Improves to 3-0 in conference play, the first 3-0 conference start since 1998

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Finding itself behind in a conference game for the first time this season, Baylor soccer answered with second-half goals by Olivia Mack and Gabby Mueller to pull out a 3-2 win over Texas Tech in Thursday's showdown at Betty Lou Mays Field to move atop the Big 12 standings.
            "To all of a sudden be down 2-1, that's a scenario we haven't been in yet this year," said Baylor head coach Paul Jobson. "It just shows their willingness to fight and battle for a win."
            Off to its first 3-0 start in Big 12 play since 1998, when Baylor won its first conference title, the Bears (7-2-3, 3-0-0) extended their unbeaten streak to nine and took over sole possession of first place in the league with Texas and 10^th-ranked TCU battling to a 1-1 draw.
            "That was huge," Gabby Mueller said of the comeback. "I think it just represents our team, though. That's not a surprise for our team. That's who we are, and it really showed tonight."
            In a physical game that featured a combined 15 fouls, Baylor took the early lead in the 11^th minute when senior forward Taylor Moon scored her third goal in as many games off a cross from Elizabeth Kooiman.
            One of the nation's leading goal scorers, Tech's Kirsten Davis got through Baylor's back line and won a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt, rifling in a shot from close range to tie it up in the 39^th minute of the first half.
            "We make one little slip-up against one of the best players in the country scoring goals, and she scores. That's what she does," Jobson said of Davis, who scored her 11^th goal of the season and fifth in three conference games. "We just hope that we can contain her, and I think we did a decent job of that."
            The Red Raiders (9-2-1, 2-1-0) capitalized on a questionable foul on Mueller in the box, with Charlotte Teeter scoring off a rebound when Wandt blocked her penalty kick.
            "They kick it so hard, you sometimes just have to go," said Wandt, who had a season-high saves to pick up her 51^st career win. "The game before, at TCU, I second-guessed myself and ended up just standing there and watched it go in. I was just making sure I wasn't going to do that. PKs, it's hard, you just want to get a touch on it. Just good composure by her."
            Baylor came up with an answer less than five minutes later, when Mack blasted a shot past Tech goalkeeper Madison White off a perfect cross from fellow sophomore Mackenzie Anthony.
            "How (Mack) pulled that off, I don't know," Jobson said. "She's scored three goals this year, and all three have been crazy. She just finds a way to get it in the back of the net. I'll take that kind of goal scorer any day, but the work we did to get there was great. Mack Anthony did a ton of work to create a lot of opportunities for us."
            Knotted for the next 17 minutes and seemingly headed to overtime, Mueller blasted a shot from about 30 feet that hit off the crossbar and ricocheted in the net off a touch from White.
            "I guess because of the PI, I knew I had to work extra hard to try to make up for that in some way," Mueller said of her second goal of the season. "I just had a lot of adrenaline in me, and I knew something had to be done. So, I took the initiative. I was waiting for it, and then I saw it trickle in, and I was like, there we go."
            Even in the last 10 minutes of regulation, Wandt had to come up with a big save off a shot on goal by Tech's Macy Schultz.
            "Without her, it's a different game. She made some big saves," Jobson said of Wandt. "She's always coming up with big saves for us. She's a difference-maker."
            After taking the rest of the weekend off, the Bears go back on the road to face Kansas State (6-6-0, 1-2-0) next Thursday in Manhattan and Kansas (5-7-1, 0-3-0) three days later in Lawrence.
            "Whether we are winning, tied or losing, we're going to just play our game," Wandt said, "and we believe that will get us the results. And I think that showed tonight. I was just really proud of the effort. We just tried to remain steady and keep our emotions in check."

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – A thrilling come from behind 3-2 win over Texas Tech at home in Waco tonight moves Baylor to 3-0 in conference play. The win comes with three goals from three different Bears.

Baylor got on the board first tonight with a goal from Taylor Moon in the 11^th minute on a perfect cross from Elizabeth Kooiman. With Jennifer Wandt recording three saves in the first half, Baylor held off Texas Tech until the 39^th minute when Kirsten Davis found the back of the net and tied things up at 1-1. Also getting good looks in the first half were Mackenzie Anthony, Olivia Mack and Maddie Algya.

Texas Tech took the lead first in the second half with a goal in the 57^th minute. Baylor answered quick though when Olivia Mack put one on frame with an assist from Mackenzie Anthony. With things knotted at two, Lorelai Stramrood and Anthony both had good shots that just didn't fall.

Regaining the lead, Gabby Mueller got a good look from distance and blasted one into the net to give Baylor the 3-2 advantage in the 79^th minute. The Bears were able to get four more shots off before time expired.

Baylor had 10 for 19 shots on goal tonight and were awarded eight corner kicks to the Red Raiders five. Goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt picked up another win tonight while recording seven saves. The seven saves' ties for the most this season after last week's performance at TCU.

HIGHLIGHTS

Baylor improves to 3-0 in conference play, the first 3-0 conference start since 1998
Baylor has either won or tied in the last nine games
Jennifer Wandt recorded seven saves, tied for the most this season
Taylor Moon scored her third goal in as many games
Elizabeth Kooiman tallied her fourth assist this season, leads Baylor in the category
Olivia Mack and gabby Mueller net their second goals this season

STAT OF THE GAME
3 – The number of conference wins Baylor has, the first 3-0 conference start since 1998

TOP QUOTES
Paul Jobson on the game…
"It's always a great match, it's always intense, it's always physical. It's never dirty, it's just a physical, intense match. There's a Big 12 championship on the line every time you play a Big 12 team. That's what everybody wants, so it's a fight to the end."

Gabby Mueller on taking a long shot…
"I had a lot of adrenaline in me, and I knew something had to be done, so I took the initiative."

Jennifer Wandt on the game…
"Whether we are winning, tied, or losing, we play our game and we believe that will get us through it all"

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