THE RUNDOWN
KANSAS CITY – Baylor soccer battled back to defeat No. 7 seed Arizona, 2-1, Wednesday afternoon at CPKC Stadium in the first round of the Big 12 Championship. 
 
The Bears got things started early in the first half when Tyler Isgrig connected with Callie Conrad who found the back of the net in the 10^th minute to put BU up 1-0. 
 
After two shots high above the crossbar, Arizona was able to find the equalizer in the 24^th minute to erase the Bears' lead. 
 
Goalkeeper Azul Alvarez made her first save of the match in the 26^th minute to stop the Wildcats attack, before Isgrig and Natalie Vatter put shots up for the Bears but were blocked. Alvarez made one more save in goal in the first half, but the teams went into halftime knotted, 1-1. 
 
Adriana Merriam took the first shot for the Bears in the second half in the 67^th minute and BU earned a corner kick in the 69^th minute, before Caroline Staubach put a shot on frame in the 76^th minute that the Arizona goalkeeper saved. Just 27 seconds later it was Staubach who found her first career goal when she connected with Skye Leach and gave Baylor the 2-1 advantage. 
 
Baylor played the last seven minutes of the match up a player after the Wildcats had a player ejected with a red card in the 83^rd minute. 
 
The Bears were awarded their third corner kick of the match in the 87^th minute but that would be all as they took down the Wildcats for their first Big 12 Championship win since the 2018 season. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• This marks the Bears' first Big 12 Championship win since the 2018 season, when the Bears made it to the championship game in Kansas City
• Caroline Staubach scored her first career goal
• Skye Leach recorded her first assist of the season
• Six Bears played all 90 minutes
• Azul Alvarez made four saves in goal bringing her season total to 94
• Tyler Isgrig recorded her 8^th assist of the season
• Callie Conrad netted her 5^th goal of the season, which ties her for second on the team

WHAT'S NEXT
Up next, the Bears will face No. 2 seed Texas Tech on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 5:30 p.m. CT in the second round of the Big 12 Championship at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.