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Baylor Soccer Sunk by Last Minute Penalty in 2-1 Loss to KSU
WACO, Texas — Baylor Soccer (3-7-2, 1-3-0) lost a hotly contested match to the Kansas State Wildcats 2-1 on Sunday afternoon after a penalty kick was awarded to KSU in the final 20 seconds of the game.
A third goal in two games for Reneta Vargas had the Bears even with the visitors in the second half, but the physical match seemed destined for a draw.
Baylor goalkeeper Lauren Traywick had a very good 89 minutes in goal leading up to the penalty, making seven saves.
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The referee’s call was also very harsh given the circumstances and the way he called the rest of the game.
“I feel like with 30 seconds on the clock, it had better be really, really clear to give a penalty in a game like that,” Baylor head coach Michelle Lenard said afterward. “And that looked like more of just a tangled mess of bodies and legs than a clear penalty.”
“They said our goalkeeper went through her back to get to the ball, which it looked like a scrum to me. The goalkeeper, the defender, their player all right there in the same space. They all kind of trip over each other.”
Upon review of the broadcast, which you can find here, Traywick spilled the initial catch in front of goal. She then dove to recover the ball with both Baylor midfielder Skye Leach and the KSU forward right there by her. In her dive attempt, her legs flailed up and hit the Wildcat.
In my opinion, the KSU player felt the contact from Traywick, as well as a hand in the back from Leach, and went down easily.
Whether the contact was enough to force the player down or not, the call was very harsh. Goalkeepers typically get a lot of protection in the 18-yard box. But now Traywick might feel the full weight of the loss on her shoulders after making plenty of big saves throughout the game.
Looking at the game as a whole, the Bears could have played better. Offensively they were not clicking, putting just five of their thirteen shots on goal.
“I thought we came out sluggish and tired and maybe that's a little bit of carryover from Thursday,” said Coach Lenard. “Despite that, I thought we played well enough to certainly not lose in the last 30 seconds on what looked like a pretty questionable call to me.”
The first half felt like the green and gold were in more control but Kansas State still had the better chances on goal.
And the Wildcats took advantage with 15 minutes to go in the half. Riley Baker sent a powerful shot in on the Baylor goal. Traywick got her hands to it, but there was too much force behind it. 1-0 KSU.
After the halftime break, the Bears seemed to have a touch more energy, and just 8 minutes into the second half they were able to draw even.
Hannah Augustyn sent a beautiful cross in from deep in the left wing. Reneta Vargas was in the right spot and sent her header past the keeper for her third goal in two games.
With that goal, Vargas is now the joint leading scorer on the team with Ashley Merrill.
Nervously, as the final whistle crept closer, KSU started getting more opportunities to run in behind the Baylor defense.
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The game got stretched as both squads were looking for the winner.
And that led to the 90th-minute penalty call.
“I told the players, we don't wanna be in that situation where the game can come down to a call in the last 30 seconds of the game.,” said Lenard. “We needed to be sharper with the opportunities that we did have.”
So now coach and her team are left a bit further from qualifying for the Big 12 tournament than they were to start the day.
It was not just an opportunity to grab points that Baylor lost, but one of their direct competitors in the bottom half of the standings stole three crucial points.
And while the bad call will sting — perhaps especially so because the Bears have not been awarded a single penalty this season with much clearer fouls — the green and gold need to regroup for an all-important road trip.
Baylor travels to Ames for a game against Iowa State on Thursday before flying out to Morgantown to face the Mountaineers of West Virginia on Sunday.
WVU has not looked great so far this year, but they are a well-coached and talented squad. Meanwhile, ISU is perhaps the best remaining chance for a win on the Bears' schedule.
WotM: Lauren Traywick — She made seven saves, including some very important ones in the 8th, 18th and 73rd minutes. Incredibly tough for her to be called for a foul at the end. The team would not have been in a position to draw without her.
Up Next: Iowa State Thursday 10/13 6 PM CT ESPN+