WACO, Texas — Baylor Soccer (3-0-2) rode a first-half goal from sophomore forward Alysiah Lockette to beat the visiting Texas Longhorns (2-4-1) by a score of 1-0 in Thursday night.
The crisp give-and-go between Lockette and junior midfielder Aryanna Jimison lifted the Bears to their third-straight win and fourth-straight shutout. With two games left before Big 12 play begins, Michelle Lenard’s program is looking like they may have turned the corner and could be a real threat in the conference title race.
Much of the first half was played in the middle third, with both sides generating a handful of quality chances when they broke through into their respective final thirds. The opportunities Baylor created were a step above those of the Longhorns, though.
A 15th-minute Baylor corner kick from Tyler Isgrig had to be tip-saved over the crossbar by the Horns’ keeper and a 38th-minute Jimison shot from distance had the keeper scrambling but went wide of the far post.
In between, Baylor goalkeeper Azul Alvarez was called into action, racing off her line into an awkward challenge. It was quickly cleared by Hallie Augustyn, but to viewers it was nervy nonetheless.
The Bears’ goal came as the half was drawing to a close. Lockette found herself driving the ball down the right side in the 39th minute when she spotted Jimison in the middle of the field. A tidy pass to Jimison was settled with a touch and slotted right back to Lockette, who matched her stride to the ball and laced a first-time shot right through the keeper’s legs. 1-0 Baylor.
The Longhorns came out strong early in half two, but Alvarez and the defense made the stops and saved what they needed to keep the clean sheet.
Baylor kept looking for an insurance goal much like the one Jimison scored last Thursday against Mississippi State, but they were just off the mark.
In the 56th minute, junior forward Callie Conrad fired a shot over the goal on a great counterattack opportunity.
Then, in the 74th minute, junior attacker Theresa McCullough had a shot deflected by the defense and pinged off the crossbar. It was a hectic sequence but a goal-scoring chance that the Bears are happy they will not look back on with regret.
From there, the Bears’ defense did its job and made sure that Baylor Soccer notched its first win against Texas since the 2017 Big 12 tournament.
Up Next: The Bears will look to keep the hot streak going as they travel down to San Marcos to face off with Texas State. The Bobcats tied Baylor 2-2 with a last-gasp goal in Waco last season, so anything could happen when the game kicks off on Sunday at 7:30 PM CT. The broadcast will be available on ESPN+.
