SOC Records Draw Against Cincinnati, 2-2

Thursday, October 12

Waco, Texas

7 PM

Baylor

8-5-3, 3-3-2

Cincinnati

3-6-6, 2-2-4

Cincinnati

Baylor

SOC Records Draw Against Cincinnati, 2-2

10/12/2023 11:00:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Box Score

Bears remain undefeated in their last five matches

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Baylor freshman Skylar Zinnecker had two golden chances in the last six minutes to put away a goal and extend the Bears' winning streak to four-straight.

But Cincinnati goalkeeper Anna Rexford came up with a critical save on the first one and then defender Ashley Barron kicked away a perfect header that seemed to go over the end line in the final minute of Thursday's 2-2 tie at Betty Lou Mays Field.

"Certainly, the girls think it did," Baylor coach Michelle Lenard said of the ball crossing the end line for a goal. "I won't know until I look back at film. And it won't matter because if they don't call it, they don't call it. We've got to bury it in the back of the net so far there's no question. It's very frustrating. I feel like we did not deserve to tie. Felt like we deserved to win."

Zinnecker's near goal was only part of the frustration in a game that saw the Bears (8-5-3, 3-3-2) give up the tying goal with just over four minutes left.

When Skye Leach was called for a foul, the Bearcats (3-6-6, 2-2-4) scored their second goal off a set play when Sarah Kate Rath knocked in the rebound after goalkeeper Makinzie Short deflected a point-blank shot by Ellie Flowers.

"What's most frustrating is a late foul call that I just didn't feel like was consistent with the rest of the game. That's very frustrating," said Lenard, who picked up a yellow card after the game when she questioned the referee. "I feel really disappointed for the girls. Yes, I'd like us to defend better in those situations, but I don't think we had to give the opponent a free chance."

UCF and West Virginia with 13 points. Instead, the Bears got one point for the tie and sit in an eighth-place tie with Oklahoma (11 points), which stunned the Longhorns, 2-0.

"We're frustrated, but we're going to have to get over it tonight and move on to the next day," Lenard said. "This changes a little bit for us, but not a ton. We're still in position to finish high up in the conference – top half, maybe slightly higher than that. We've got to take care of these next two games. Getting a win at TCU would be huge."

Cincinnati, looking for its first road victory since beating Murray State, 2-1, in double-overtime two years ago, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 14^th minute. A three-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, the 5-foot-11 Barron knocked in a back-side header off a free kick by Fran Stables after Tyler Isgrig was called for a foul just outside the 18-yard box.

That 1-0 score remained until the final minute of the first half, when Ashley Merrill netted her team-high ninth goal of the season off an assist from Zinnecker.

"I think we were knocking on the door the whole time," Merrill said. "It's frustrating because you want to win so badly and, obviously, it just didn't happen. But we also just didn't finish a lot of other opportunities we had that were easier."

Easily the most aggressive team in the second half, Baylor controlled possession throughout and went up 2-1 in the 25^th minute when freshman Callie Conrad blasted a shot by Rexford off an assist from Jenna Patterson that gave the Bears their first lead, 2-1.

That was a lead Baylor held until the final few minutes, when the Bearcats were able to sneak one in to knot the match at 2-2.

Next, the Bears go back on the road to face 21^st-ranked TCU (9-4-3, 5-1-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Fort Worth before closing out the regular season with a matchup against Houston (8-6-2, 2-5-1) at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23.

"That was just frustrating when we're right there and it's just taken away," Merrill said. "But we didn't finish a lot of other opportunities we had that were easier."

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor soccer recorded a draw against Cincinnati, 2-2, Thursday night at Betty Lou Mays Field.

The Bears fell behind early, as the Bearcats were able to net their first goal in the 14^th minute. Cincinnati then accounted for the next two shots, but BU's Jenna Patterson put the first ball she touched in three matches on frame for the Bears' first chance.

Baylor controlled much of the offensive threat following the Bearcats' goal, allowing CIncinnati just one shot on goal for the remaining 31 minutes of the first half.

Baylor wasn't going to let the Bearcats take the lead into halftime and was able to find the equalizer in the 45^thminute. Off of an assist from Skylar Zinnecker, Ashley Merrill netted her ninth goal of the season to knot the game at the half.

The Bears' first chance in the second half came off the boot of Tyler Isgrig, who lined up a shot in the 64^thminute, but the UC goalkeeper came up with the save.

Baylor took its first lead of the night, when senior Jenna Patterson connected with freshman Callie Conrad, who put the ball in the back of the net in the 70^th minute. Finding her second goal of the season, Conrad put the bears up 2-1, which would carry them until Cincinnati's tying goal in the 86^th minute.

Not satisfied with the tie, BU's Skylar Zinnecker lined up a perfect shot after and had the UC goalkeeper away from the goal, but a Bearcat defender stopped the ball from fully crossing the goal line and made the stop.

With the tie tonight, the Bears are on a five-game unbeaten streak, dating back to Sept. 28.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Bears ended the game with 18 shots from nine different Bears
BU's 18 shots ties for third-most in a single game this season
Ashley Merrill's ninth goal this season is the most by a single player since Julie James and Camryn Wendlandt each had 10 during the 2018 season.
Callie Conrad netted her second goal of the season
Tyler Isgrig created the most chances with five shots, two on goal
Skylar Zinnecker and Conrad each had three shots, as Ashley Merrill followed with two
Four Bears played the full 90 minutes
The Bears are on a five-game unbeaten streak

QUOTABLE
Head coach Michelle Lenard on the game …
"I felt like we did not deserve to tie that game. Felt like we deserved to win. Had the better of play in the second half. But they're a dangerous counter attacking team that's good on set plays. And we knew that going in, and we gave up two goals on set plays. So, that's very frustrating. Feel really disappointed for the girls because yeah, I'd like us to defend better in those situations. But I don't think we had to give the opponent a free chance."

Ashley Merrill on her first-half goal …
"I think we were knocking on the door the whole time. The last 20 minutes, knew it was coming. I think we needed it to switch the momentum in our favor. I think it did. Even right after the goal, we had the momentum the rest of the half and even going into the second half. It shifted the momentum to us rather than them."

WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will head north on I-35 to face TCU on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. CT.

- BaylorBears.com -