Bears fight back, score knockout blow to beat Tech 3-2

WACO, Texas — Baylor soccer hosted Texas Tech for its third conference game on Thursday evening, and it was a knock-down-drag-out fight before the Bears eventually secured the 3-2 victory. Both teams entered 2-0 in the Big 12 and on relatively hot streaks. The Raiders were 9-1-1 while the Bears were unbeaten in their last eight matches. 

Defenses were stressed all night as goals came early and often. 

Taylor moon opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a beautiful one-touch redirect of an Elizabeth Kooiman cross from the left wing. Moon was so close to the goal that the keeper had no chance if it was not hit directly at her.

Tech pressed on and put more pressure on the Baylor defense from there. All-conference Raiders forward Kirsten Davis sent a great shot in the 16th minute that required an equally impressive save from Jennifer Wandt. 

In the 28th minute, Davis pounced on a bad touch from Kayley Ables and slotted the ball past Wandt. Tech was level at 1-1.

From there both teams had decent chances but the last great action of the half came when Wandt was forced to race off her line and clear up a nervy situation. She made it in time and the teams entered the lockerrooms tied 1-1.

The Bears came out looking to score in the second with multiple corners about six minutes into the half. However, The Red Raiders would strike first. In the 56th minute, a harsh penalty was called on Gabby Mueller for a challenge in Baylor’s box. 

“That was pretty frustrating because my hands weren’t in the air and my legs weren’t out,” Mueller said after the game. “It was purely just us running and she fell on the ground. I turned and it was a PK. Kind of disappointing“.

Charlotte Teeter stepped up for Tech and sent the penalty kick toward the left side go goal. Wandt guessed right and made the initial save, but the rebound went right back to Teeter and she would not miss again. Tech took the 2-1 lead.

Baylor did not hang its heads despite the tough call. The team regrouped and pressed forward. About nine minutes after falling, Mackenzie Anthony made a great run down the right wing and sent a cut-back in for Olivia Mack. Mack had to track back on her initial run, but she got around on the ball and sent it past the Tech keeper. 2-2.

"When you play goalie you just kind of learn queues and stuff,” Wandt said. “They kick it so hard you sometimes just have to go — the game before in TCU I second-guessed myself and then I ended up just kind of standing there and watched it go in -- so, I was just making sure I wasn't going to do that. Shame I gave up a rebound right in front, but I mean, for PK's it's hard."

The game became pretty frantic thereafter. The Raiders forced an amazing save out of Wandt with a curling shot in the 68th minute. At full extension, she tipped it over and out.

Two minutes later, a Taylor moon header banged off the crossbar. 

Before you could even check your phone, Chloe Brown had been sent in on goal and scored, but she was called back for offside.

At that point you could tell the game was not going to end in a tie. Something had to give, and Gabby Mueller went out there and took it. 

In the 79th minute, Mueller fired a shot in from about 30 yards out. It was perfectly placed right onto the top left corner of the framework. The ball bounced down, hit the staggering keeper in the back, and rolled in to give the Bears the 3-2 lead with two minutes left.

"I just had a lot of adrenaline in me and I knew something had to be done,” Muller said. “So I took the initiative. I was waiting for it, and then I saw it trickle in and I was like there we go."

So now, for the third time in as many Big 12 games, the Bears had to hold off its opponents at the end. This time, the green-and-gold pressed forward, daring Texas Tech to take the ball off of them and beat the Baylor defenders back toward goal. 

The Red Raiders were not able to rise to the occasion and Baylor saw the game out.

“You come out the first 10, you score a goal,” Coach Paul Jobson said as he reflected on the game.

“You’re kind of playing off momentum from last week, you’re doing well, you’re feeling good. And 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, and I think we learned our lesson from that. But then to all of a sudden be down 2-1, I think that’s a scenario we haven’t been in yet this year, that I can remember at least. Again, just shows their willingness to fight and battle for a win.”

He added, “our matches with Texas Tech are always tough matches. Tom (Stone) and I have known each other a long time. And that’s always a thing. 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.”

Speaking of Big 12 championships, the Bears are that much closer to a regular-season crown now that they have knocked off three of the better teams in the conference. Upcoming opponents West Virginia, Texas and Kansas will be tough outs however. 

At the end of the day, this start to conference play is something to be extremely proud of for the Bears. In fact, it is the first time since 1998 that Baylor has started conference play 3-0-0. The Bears won’t want to stop there though, so on to Kansas next Thursday.

WotM: Gabby Mueller - She worked hard all night and scored the winner. Absolutely awesome performance. 

Up Next: @Kansas (Thu. 10/7 7PM)