SOC Falls to No. 12 TCU, 2-0

Sunday, October 23

Waco, Texas

1 PM

Baylor

4-10-2, 2-6-0

TCU

10-3-4, 5-1-2

TCU

Baylor

SOC Falls to No. 12 TCU, 2-0

10/23/2022 3:58:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Box Score

Bears will play last match of the regular season Thursday

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            With a chance to wrap up a spot in the Big 12 Championship, Baylor soccer held 12^th-ranked TCU scoreless in the first half of Sunday's matchup at Betty Lou Mays Field.
            But the Bears (4-10-2, 2-6-0) will have to wait four more days to determine their postseason fate after giving up a pair of second-half goals in a 2-0 loss to the Horned Frogs (10-3-4, 4-1-2).
            First-year coach Michelle Lenard, whose team is still clinging to eighth place in the conference standings, said the Bears can't dwell on Sunday's Loss. They have to shift their focus to Thursday's regular-season finale at home against Oklahoma State (10-3-4, 3-2-3), one of six teams that have already punched their tickets to the eight-team tournament in Round Rock.
            "That's what I just (told them), it doesn't matter now. We move on," Lenard said. "This game, we take away what we can from it. But, OSU is our last game in the regular season. That's our opportunity to get into the tournament."
            Despite being out-shot 10-2 in the first half and 20-4 for the game, Baylor almost took the lead in the first five minutes when Elizabeth Kooiman rifled a shot from outside the box that TCU goalkeeper Lauren Kellett had to leap to make a diving save in the top right corner.
            "You score an early goal in a game like this, and it can totally swing the momentum, put us in the driver's seat a little bit," Lenard said, "but that's kind of been a thing. We had a great opportunity our last game against Tech when it was 0-0. We score that goal, we go up, you never know. But, we're not putting those chances away."
            Playing with a strong wind at their backs in the first half, the Bears needed to strike in the first half. But, after two shots in the first 5 ½ minutes, they got none in the last 39:30 and went in tied at 0-0.
            "Definitely not scoring in the first half, we knew it was going to be an uphill battle at that point," Lenard said. "They have major, major weapons, both to get in behind and in the air. And it was just a matter of time if we continued to give up so many services into the box. It's frustrating, but I don't really think you can blame it on the wind. It definitely affected it, but we both had to play in it."
            Shut out in the first half, TCU broke through in the 55^th minute, when Gracie Bryan took a perfect cross from Megan Reilly on the back side and headed it into the goal for the 1-0 lead.
            Lenard kept dipping into a deep bench, trying to find a spark for an offense that has now been shut out eight times. But, the Frogs got an insurance goal in the 72^nd minute, when AJ Hennessey took a deep pass from Seven Castain and hit another cross to the backside that Skylar Heinrich tapped in for her first goal of the season and fourth of her career.
            "The second one is a difficult one, for sure. We've got to make a tackle over there on the side," Lenard said, "but (goalkeeper Madison Martin's) feet are still moving. She's not set to make a play on the ball. That's what goalkeepers are there for is to bail us out when we get in those situations. That's what we need from them in those moments."
            Baylor had a couple late chances, but sophomore sub Kate Zimmerman missed right on a shot from distance and then went high on a free kick from just outside the box after a yellow-card foul on the Frogs' Michelle Slater. She finished with two of the Bears' four shots despite playing just 18 minutes.
            "We got in (the box) several times, but it resulted in nothing. Not a shot, not a cross," Lenard said, "because individuals couldn't win their (one-on-one) battles. And we're going to continue to struggle in that area until we have some players who can get on the ball, take a player on, beat a player. We should have earned a couple corners, couple more shots or crosses, but we're losing the ball in those 1v1 battles."
            While the Bears can earn a tournament berth and potentially move up to seventh with a win over OSU, Kansas (8-8-2, 1-5-2) can steal the final spot with a win at home over Iowa State coupled with a Baylor loss or tie.

WACO, Texas – Baylor soccer fell against No. 12 TCU, 2-0, Sunday afternoon at Betty Lou Mays Field.

The Bears, who are now 4-10-2 on the season and 2-6-0 in conference play, held the Horned Frogs scoreless until the second half.

THE RUNDOWN
The Bears came out strong as Elizabeth Kooiman lined up the Bears' only shot on goal in the fifth minute, as the TCU goalkeeper was forced to make a diving save. BU was then credited its only corner kick of the match, but wasn't able to but the ball in the back of the net.

Blythe Obar then took her turn to score in the sixth minute, but the ball sailed just right of the goal.

Madison Martin got the start in goal for the Bears, picking up five saves in the first half to keep the Horned Frogs off of the board.

Baylor's defense was able to hold TCU scoreless until the 55^th minute when the Horned Frogs netted their first goal of the match, followed by their second goal in the 72^nd minute.

Kate Zimmerman recorded the Bears' only two shots in the second half, the first coming in the 83^rd minute and the second on a free kick in front of the box after TCU was given a yellow card.

The TCU defense limited the Bears to just four shots in the game, one on goal.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Bears held the Horned Frogs scoreless until the 55^th minute
Madison Martin recorded six saves in her second start of Big 12 play this season
Kate Zimmerman had a team-leading two shots
Elizabeth Kooiman recorded the only shot on goal for the Bears
Three Bears played the full 90 minutes, Blythe Obar, Ava Colberg and Hannah Augustyn