Omholt, Baylor Soccer Find Late Equalizer, Draw Texas A&M 1-1 in Season Opener
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Baylor Soccer opened its 2025 season with a 1-1 draw against former Big 12 rival Texas A&M. A 4th-minute goal for the hosts, courtesy of a defensive miscue, became the obstacle that the Bears took 77 minutes to overcome in the form of a Lauren Omholt equalizer.
In the first half, the Bears struggled to cope with the Aggies’ high pressure, turning the ball over many times as they tried to build out from the Baylor half.
The worst example of this was a Baylor turnover out of bounds that led to the Aggies' 4th-minute goal. During the subsequent throw in the Bears’ defensive line either miscommunicated or simply missed the run of Kaylee Noble for the Aggies. Nobel cut the ball back off the end line for Leah Diaz to slot home into the bottom left corner of Azul Alvarez’s goal. 1-0 Texas A&M.
When Baylor did find ways to break through or bypass the Texas A&M press, attackers in green and gold found some good chances.
Tyler Isgrig sent a rocket of a shot off the Aggies’ crossbar but not down into the goal in the 22nd minute. The Bears did not produce a better shot in the first 45.
Typical of this game, the Aggies responded to Isgrig’s shot by generating a great shot at the other end of the field within 45 seconds. Thankfully for Baylor, Hallie Augustyn was alert and smothered the attempt before it could challenge Alvarez in goal.
The second half was much more in the Bears’ control. The Baylor defensive line pushed higher up the field as the greens and gold held on to the ball more, and the Aggies tried to play over the top.
Ten minutes into the second frame, Isgrig sent a ball into the Texas A&M box for Purdue transfer forward Lauren Omholt to run onto. The right winger tried to put the ball in the back of the net with a first-touch shot, but the Aggie goalkeeper was in the perfect spot to make a foot save on the goal line.
With the mid-half subs on the field, Baylor nearly equalized in the 68th minute thanks to midfielder Kai Hayes and winger Theresa McCullough. Hayes was carrying the ball forward down the left flank when she picked out a great diagonal ball into the box for McCullough’s run.
The junior winger got her head to the ball but missed wide past the near post.
As the clock ticked closer to the last ten minutes, Baylor found the equalizer it needed. Sophomore Alysiah Lockette sent a high-arching cross into the box from close to the end line on the right wing. Omholt muscled her way to meet the ball inside the Aggies’ six-yard box and send it to the back of the net.
Tie game with nine minutes to play.
The use of “muscled” to describe how hard the transfer attacker fought to get to that cross can not be understated. It was a goal scored largely through sheer force of will — not to undermine the talent Omholt possesses.
The green and gold continued to push for a winner, dominating the final nine minutes. However, a Hallie Augustyn header on a corner in the 83rd minute was nudged just outside of the frame to preserve the draw.
Without the 4th minute defensive mistake from the Bears, this could have easily been a second consecutive 1-0 win for Baylor against Texas A&M.
Instead, the Bears will rue that mental lapse and return to Waco with a 0-0-1 record. Not a bad start to a season, considering the opponent was solid, but there was plenty left on the table for the Bears — a feeling all to common last season.
Up Next: A Sunday off before a week-long trip to Missoula, Montana, for matchups with Denver (4 PM CT on Thursday) and Montana (2:30 PM CT Sunday,) both on ESPN+.
