No. 17 Baylor SOC Lifted by Jimison’s Set Piece Goal over Marquette, 1-0
9/10/2026 10:21:00 PM | Soccer
Defense held Golden Eagles to one shot-on-goal in eight kicks and forced first loss of the season
WACO, Texas – The 17th-ranked Baylor soccer squad (6-1) earned its second consecutive shutout on Thursday night against Marquette (3-1-3), 1-0, at Betty Lou Mays Field.
In the annual White Out game, the Bears earned the win behind a locked-down defensive effort, allowing just one shot on goal, to hand the Golden Eagles their first loss of the season in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Baylor came out with early pressure in the first half, outshooting Marquette 5-3, with Azul Alvarez not having to make an effort ahead of the break. Over the full match, BU finished with a 14-8 shot advantage, tallying eight shots on goal while Alvarez turned away the only shot on target she faced all night.
In the 44th minute, a foul by the Golden Eagles' Coco Dorfman on Aryanna Jimison gave the Bears a free kick. Jimison took the kick and scored her second goal of the season off a deflection on the right side of the wall.
Baylor held off Marquette for one more minute to head into halftime with the 1-0 lead.
BU, who won the corner-kick battle, 4-2, held off five Marquette shots in the second half before the final whistle.
The Bears are back on the road for their final contest of the nonconference slate. Baylor meets Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla., at the Case Soccer Complex on Sunday, Sept. 13, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. The matchup will be streamed on Summit League Network.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Michelle Lenard
On tonight's game…
"We knew going in it was going to be hard to break them down. They're very defensively organized and haven't conceded a lot of goals. They're undefeated. We knew they were physical, they're big, they're athletic. They were going to make it really difficult for us. Even if we had to grind it out in the end, finding a way to get a good result is really important right now. I thought we were unlucky not to have a second goal. We had a few opportunities early in the first half. I think if you score the early goal, maybe it changes the energy of the game. They made it hard, they gave us problems to solve, but at the end of the day, one was all we needed. So we'll take it and move on."
On scoring before in the first frame…
"I think it's super important [to score in the first half] because it changes the feel of the game a little. They've got to come out and get out of their block a little bit more and take more risks, which would partly open up some chances for us. We changed things a bit coming out of the halftime break, and I really thought we were going to score. We were all over them for a minute there, and if you get that second goal, it takes the heat out of the game. To their credit, they worked hard, they were organized and made it difficult for us."
Fifth-year Natalie Vatter
On the growth of the team…
"We always talk about being brave to build. That's always what Coach Lenard tells us, and it takes confidence back there, especially with a high press. Having a new back line has taken a little bit to get confident, but the girls have all really grown a lot. Tonight they sat back and impressed us, which was also harder because they swarmed the middle, so it was harder to break lines. I think it's good, though. Each game we may learn something different, and I think we've improved a lot since the beginning of the season and gotten good wins."
To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorFutbol.
In the annual White Out game, the Bears earned the win behind a locked-down defensive effort, allowing just one shot on goal, to hand the Golden Eagles their first loss of the season in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Baylor came out with early pressure in the first half, outshooting Marquette 5-3, with Azul Alvarez not having to make an effort ahead of the break. Over the full match, BU finished with a 14-8 shot advantage, tallying eight shots on goal while Alvarez turned away the only shot on target she faced all night.
In the 44th minute, a foul by the Golden Eagles' Coco Dorfman on Aryanna Jimison gave the Bears a free kick. Jimison took the kick and scored her second goal of the season off a deflection on the right side of the wall.
Baylor held off Marquette for one more minute to head into halftime with the 1-0 lead.
BU, who won the corner-kick battle, 4-2, held off five Marquette shots in the second half before the final whistle.
The Bears are back on the road for their final contest of the nonconference slate. Baylor meets Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla., at the Case Soccer Complex on Sunday, Sept. 13, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. The matchup will be streamed on Summit League Network.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Michelle Lenard
On tonight's game…
"We knew going in it was going to be hard to break them down. They're very defensively organized and haven't conceded a lot of goals. They're undefeated. We knew they were physical, they're big, they're athletic. They were going to make it really difficult for us. Even if we had to grind it out in the end, finding a way to get a good result is really important right now. I thought we were unlucky not to have a second goal. We had a few opportunities early in the first half. I think if you score the early goal, maybe it changes the energy of the game. They made it hard, they gave us problems to solve, but at the end of the day, one was all we needed. So we'll take it and move on."
On scoring before in the first frame…
"I think it's super important [to score in the first half] because it changes the feel of the game a little. They've got to come out and get out of their block a little bit more and take more risks, which would partly open up some chances for us. We changed things a bit coming out of the halftime break, and I really thought we were going to score. We were all over them for a minute there, and if you get that second goal, it takes the heat out of the game. To their credit, they worked hard, they were organized and made it difficult for us."
Fifth-year Natalie Vatter
On the growth of the team…
"We always talk about being brave to build. That's always what Coach Lenard tells us, and it takes confidence back there, especially with a high press. Having a new back line has taken a little bit to get confident, but the girls have all really grown a lot. Tonight they sat back and impressed us, which was also harder because they swarmed the middle, so it was harder to break lines. I think it's good, though. Each game we may learn something different, and I think we've improved a lot since the beginning of the season and gotten good wins."
To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorFutbol.
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Players Mentioned
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Friday, August 28
Monday, August 24
