Merrill Hat Trick Helps Baylor Soccer Maul Abilene Christian 7-0
WACO, Texas — Baylor Soccer rebounded from their Thursday loss in style with a 7-0 drubbing of the visiting Abilene Christian Wildcats. Senior midfielder Ashley Merrill netted the 20th hat trick in Baylor Soccer history in just three minutes and fifty seconds at the start of the second half to blow the game wide open.
Tyler Isgrig notched the opener and the sixth goal for the Green-and-Gold to keep the leading scorer race tight at six to four in favor of Merrill.
The win marked the first time since September 18th, 2016 against Jackson State that the Bears scored seven goals. It also meant Coach Lenard’s squad matched the 2022 season win total and surpassed the 2022 goals total by two, all in just seven games. Tonight was also the fourth shutout of the season for Baylor.
The first half saw the Bears impose themselves early on with Skylar Zinnecker curling a dangerous shot in from the top of the box across the goal to the right in the fourth minute. It hit the back support for the net after just missing the crossbar.
Jenna Patterson put solid shots in in the eighth and 13th minutes, one was saved and the other said out of play.
The breakthrough and eventual winner came in the 15th minute when Ava Colberg drove down the right wing and picked out Tyler Isgrig inside the 18-yard box. Tyler took one touch to get the ball out from her feet and then lashed a shot into the bottom left corner of goal. 1-0 Baylor.
Despite dominating possession all night long — 65% possession for the Green-and-Gold and 39% of that in the final quarter of the field — the Bears were a bit wasteful when they came close to goal.
“We passed up great opportunities to shoot in the first half,” said Coach Lenard after the game. “Sometimes I think we are a little too unselfish at moments.”
Nonetheless, there were great goal-scoring chances to be had in the half still. In the 28th minute, Zinnecker drove down the right wing much the same as Colberg minutes before. Merrill was the target for the cross this time, but she could not open her account just yet. The ACU keeper made a great save to keep the score 1-0.
Four minutes later, the Bears’ doubled their advantage in somewhat flukey fashion. Natalie Vatter was working around her defender on the left wing when she sent a cross in. The lofted ball looked to be deflected and forced the ACU keeper to attempt to tip it over her own crossbar. She did not get enough of the ball and it fell into the back of the net. 2-0 Baylor.
Credit to Vatter for getting the ball into a dangerous area and making things happen though.
After the goal, Coach Lenard started subbing more starters off to try to keep her players from burning out. Fatigue was a major concern of hers after the SMU loss, and perhaps even a reason for that result.
Those subs struggled with decision-making on the attack much like the rest of the team. At one point Lenard was imploring her forwards to shoot instead of pass.
So, with a 2-0 lead going into halftime, the message was clear.
“The challenge was get in the golden zone and shoot,” said Lenard. “And they did. It was really great for the coaching staff to make comments at halftime and see the team come out and respond that way.”
Now the manner that the Bears came out of the locker room and took on the challenge was exceptional.
Before 30 seconds had passed, Skye Leach sent a beautiful ball from the left side of the ACU 18-yard box across goal to the waiting Merrill. Merrill made an athletic midair finish for her fourth goal of the season. 3-0 Baylor.
Two minutes later on the dot, Tyler Isgrig slipped Merrill in on goal and the Bears’ leading scorer slotted this one into the bottom right if the goal. Never a doubt. 4-0 Baylor.
Before another two full minutes could pass, Merrill would complete her hat trick. Isgrig would again get the assist this time from the left side of the ACU box with Merrill waiting at the top of the box a little off to the right. Baylor’s No. 17 again picked out the bottom right corner of goal and sent the ball home. 5-0 Baylor and likely the fastest hat trick in Baylor Soccer history.
“I don’t even remember the last time I scored a hat trick,” said Merrill after the game. “But that was awesome. That was cool.”
When asked to describe what was clicking the Bears leading scorer said, “We were moving the ball really well. I think the first half we moved it well, but we knew coming into the second half we had to do better and put the game away.”
They did just that and left no room for doubt.
Tyler Isgrig was not about to let Merrill run away with the scoring lead for Baylor though. In the 52nd minute, Jenna Patterson sent a ball into the ACU box for Isgrig. Isgrig collected it, stopped on a dime, turned back to her left and found room to shoot on goal. The ball zoomed perfectly into the bottom left corner of the Wildcats’ goal. 6-0 Baylor.
With her two goals and two assists, Isgirg actually matched Merrill if six points on the night (two points for a goal and one point for an assist).
The Bears would cap the night with a seventh goal in the 86th minute courtesy of Micah Beasley and Callie Conrad. Conrad passed Beasley the ball as Beasley was dashing into the box. Beasley took one touch to her right to gain space to shoot and then went back across goal with her shot. The ACU keeper should have done better, but the Green-and-Gold got lucky number seven. 7-0 Baylor.
This performance was one that Coach Lenard knew her team had in it, but they had not yet shown it on the field.
“We think we could have done that maybe one or two other games this season. Just not being able to get into a rhythm [kept us from that].”
Now that the team put it together on the field, the vindication and confidence are evident.
“It feels like the work that we put in in the spring and the fall actually paid off,” said Ashley Merrill. “We still have a lot of work to do, but we’re hoping that we can just triple this. Keep going, double it, triple it.”
Carrying the momentum forward will be important with No. 17 Texas (6-1-1) coming to Waco on Thursday to open Big 12 play.
But at least for tonight, Bear fans, Michelle Lenard and her staff and her players, and most of all Ashley Merrill can enjoy the moment.
WotM — Ashley Merrill — Tyler Isgrig gave her a run for her money, but you don’t get a hat trick and not win this arbitrary accolade.
Up Next — vs. No. 17 Texas Thursday, September 14th 7 PM CST (ESPN+)