Baylor Soccer Steals 1-0 Win Over Hawaii with Late Goal

HONOLULU —  Baylor Soccer (2-1-0) overcame a lackluster performance to secure a 1-0 win over the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine (1-2-0) thanks to a Callie Conrad goal in the 73rd minute.

The Bears were outshot by their hosts 14-8, but Baylor’s sophomore forward came off the bench and poked home a Tyler Isgrig cross that Hawaii’s keeper spilled to score the only goal of the game.

Senior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez came up big for the Green and Gold making seven saves and punching the ball out of harm's way on multiple corners and crosses. Perhaps the most timely punch came on a Hawaii corner in the 84th minute which was particularly nervy.

Similarly, one of her best saves of the night came just minutes before the punch mentioned above. The Rainbow Wahine found space on their left wing and drove into the Baylor box. A low powerful shot was sent toward the Baylor goal and Alvarez made a diving save to her left to smother the chance.

Overall on the night, the Bears looked off. Rather than looking a half-step slow in their decision-making like in the season opener, tonight the Bears seemed to lack chemistry and execution. Passes were off, crosses were going into spaces far from Baylor’s runners if any runs were made. To sum it up, this looked like a subpar performance for this team.

This could be for various reasons, and as the team gets deeper into the season, these things should get sorted, especially as the rotation could shorten.

There were bright spots aside from Alvarez and Conrad. Sophomore winger Theresa McCullough worked hard on the right wing, doing very well in one-on-one situations where her speed and agility could shine. Her passing left some to be desired, but it was clear how she had earned her spot in the starting lineup. 

Freshman forward Alysiah Lockette also flashed her talent on the field tonight making multiple lung-bursting runs down the field and timing her runs in behind the Hawaii defense well. Easy to see how the first-year player not only cracked the starting lineup but also could become a mainstay for Baylor for years to come.

The Augustyn twins — Hallie and Hannah — were also stout in defense tonight. Their prowess in one-on-one situations was vital to Baylor keeping the first clean sheet of the season.

The Bears will now look to move forward and perform closer to their true potential against a solid Portland squad in Honolulu on Sunday. That game kicks off at 5 PM CT.