Vargas Brace plus Kooiman Strike Propel Bears Past Iowa State, 3-2

AMES, Iowa — Baylor Soccer improved to 2-3 in Big 12 play thanks to an 83rd-minute winner by Reneta Vargas to break the 2-2 deadlock.

Vargas’s brace pushes her to a team-leading five goals on the year while played in just four games.

Elsewhere, A first half masterclass from Elizabeth Kooiman kept the Bears in the game despite the team allowing two goals off of set pieces.

The defense was decent in open play, limiting ISU’s chances but a free kick in the 5th minute and a corner kick in the 38th minute did the damage.

The 5th-minute free kick came when Gabby Mueller fouled a cyclone about 30 yards out. Not something you want to give up, but typically not too threatening for a direct shot on goal.

But that is what the Cyclones tried. They hit the wall of green and gold defenders, but the rebound went right to perhaps the ISU’s best player Mira Emma. She converted her chance, rifling the ball off the crossbar and down into the goal. 1-0 Cyclones.

The Bears were not deterred though. They came back strong and took control of the game flow.

In the 19th minute, Kooiman was out on the left wing with two ISU defenders closing in. She faked to her left, to borrow a basketball term, crossed over to her right making the defenders crash into each other. From there she had great vision to slip a well-weighted pass toward the endline for Ashley Merrill.

Merrill calmly picked out Reneta Vargas in the six-yard box on the opposite side of the keeper. Vargas sent the ball in to the back of the net from there. 1-1.

Up until the 35th minute of the half, it looked as if Baylor had merely had a slow start and would stay o the front foot for the rest of the night. However, Iowa State clawed its way back into the game.

Earning a corner in the 38th minute, the Cyclones took the lead once again. Mira Emma sent in a perfect corner that was inches from going in on its own. Instead, it knocked off the crossbar and fell to her teammate Eva Steckelberg. Steckelberg found a way to put the ball between the post and Sarah Hornyak. 2-1 ISU.

The Bears looked almost destined to end the half down 2-1, but from almost nowhere, Kooiman drew the green and gold level once again.

In the 44th minute, the winger found herself with space much more centrally outside the Cyclones’ 18-yard box thanks to a Sarah Hornyak pass. Kooiman turned and fired a curving shot over the ISU keeper and in for the goal. 2-2.

That was the halftime score, and it would stay that way for the majority of the second half.

Both teams had plenty of chances to score in final 45 minutes. Kooiman had a nice opportunity in the 51st minute, but her shot was blocked. Blythe Obar had a great chance, but her shot went over as three ISU defenders were rapidly closing her down in the 54th minute.

The Cyclones' best chance to take the lead came in the 65th minute when they worked a wide open header on the far post of a corner kick. The headed cross did not find a teammate though and the Bears cleared their lines.

With time dwindling down, ISU was having the better of the game, but the green and gold conjured a goal out of almost nothing.

Maddie Algya worked hard transitioning the ball out of Baylor’s half before dishing it to Ashley Merrill. Merrill turned and immediately knew to play a chipped ball over the defense between the center backs for Reneta Vargas.

Vargas ran onto the ball and took a first-time shot at chipping the keeper. She successfully found the back of the net and put the Bears ahead for good. 3-2 in the 83rd minute.

This was a massive win for the Bears as they not only earned three more points in the standings, but they also kept another team clawing for points to make it to the conference tournament from earning any.

With the kickoff an hour early than other Big 12 games tonight, only time will tell where exactly the Bears will end up in the standings. The exact position does not matter much for now though. The Bears have three points from their long road trip now and a chance to earn more in Morgantown on Sunday.

WotM: Elizabeth Kooiman — It is pretty weird not to give it to someone who scored a brace (Vargas) but Kooiman was brilliant in the first half and played key roles in both goals to keep the Bears in it.

Up Next: @ West Virginia Sunday 10/16 at 2 PM CST on ESPN+