Bears Battle Frogs to 1-1 Draw at Betty Lou

WACO, Texas — Baylor Soccer (6-4-3, 1-2-2) drew with No. 22 TCU (8-2-2, 3-0-2) on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Betty Lou Mayes Field with a score of 1-1. Hannah Augustyn put the Bears in front with a second-chance header in the 59th minute, but the Horned Frogs equalized in the 73rd to prevent the Bears from earning their second Big 12 win.

The first half was largely controlled by TCU. The Frogs’ press kept the Bears from developing possession into serious attacks. 

The Bears’ backline did well to minimize any chances for the visitors though, and senior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez was on her game yet again to help Baylor to make it too halftime at 0-0.

“Azul made some huge saves to keep us in it,” said Baylor head coach Michelle Lenard, “She transferred from TCU, so that's a heavy burden to carry into the first time you play against your former team. I thought she did a great job of managing that.”

The green and gold managed just three shots in the first half according to the official stats, with the best being a Theresa McCullough free kick late in the period. The sophomore midfielder’s strike from 25-or-so yard out on the left side went just outside of far right post.

Given what felt like a lopsided first half in favor of the visitors, the large home crowd needed to see the Bears come out stronger in the second half. Baylor did just that.

The Bears coped better with TCU’s press, strung passes together and built more threatening possession.

“Throughout the game, the team grew into the game, which I think is an important sign of our maturity and development,” said Coach Lenard, “So there was a period of time in the second half where we had quite a bit of possession and we were really attacking and breaking them down. And then it led to a really good goal.”

Speaking of Hannah Augustyn’s goal, the chance came when defender Natalie Vatter collected a recycled ball and sent it into the TCU box. Augustyn attacked it for a header onto the crossbar. With the Frogs’ keeper falling into her goal in an attempt to tip the header over and out, Augustyn had a second chance with just one defender to beat.

“I just thought when it hit the post ‘it's going up’. I didn't see the keeper go for it, so I knew it was just me and the other defender. I knew I could get over it.”

Augstyn won the second aerial duel and put her Bearsin front 1-0 with just under 32 minutes to play.

TCU immediately put their foot back on the gas and pushed for an equalizer. Baylor defense held strong for another 15 minutes, but the visitors did find their goal in the 73rd minute. 

Camryn Lancaster found Bella Diorio cutting through Baylor’s box for the Frogs, and the Bears did not close Diorio down fast enough. The shot was too close and fast for Alvarez in goal and the game was tied 1-1.

Both team worked some chances for a late winner, but with some questionable refereeing decisions going both ways, the game finished at 1-1.

Baylor fans will feel robbed by a  through ball to a wide open Ashley Merrill being stopped by the ref because it grazed his arm. By the strict letter of the law, that meant a dropped ball at the spot it hit him. That was the call.

Going the other way earlier in the game, Azul Alvarez found herself far from her goal with the ball at her feet  and two TCU player closing her down. Her attempt at a clearance was deflected back at her and hit her arm. The play was blown dead, but luckily for the Bears handball was called on TCU. Alvarez was at risk of likely a yellow card for an incidental handball as the last player. 

So a game with questionable calls, a large home crowd, and the ranked visitors controlling the majority of the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Not a bad result all things considered.

“Looking at the big picture 90 minutes,” Coach Lenard said after the game, “I think that's a well earned point. I think both teams competed well.”

Coming off of two draws with ranked teams, Hannah Augustyn added, “Ties are good, but we want to win. So we just learn from them. We need to learn what we need to do to get more opportunities in the goal and just watch film and grow from there.”

Coach Lenard echoed her player’s sentiments saying, “Not satisfied, but overall happy with the performance.”

And as far as that large home crowd that included many Baylor athletes from other sports, Augustyn said the team enjoys playing in front of more fans.

“It's amazing. We always love it. You're always like, ‘Oh, gee, the crowd's chanting. I’ve got to do good for them’.”

Now the Bears prepare for a week with just one game for the first time since the last week of August. That game is a Friday trip to Lubbock to face No. 25 Texas Tech. Kickoff for that matchup is slated for 7 PM CT, with streaming available on ESPN+.