No. 9 Baylor Soccer got its second Big 12 win of the season with another 2-1 scoreline, this time against Cincinnati in Waco on Sunday afternoon. Here are some of my thoughts and takeaways from the Bears’ win. Baylor plays Kansas in Waco on Friday at 7 p.m. Entry is free, or watch the game on ESPN+.
► Some things like set-piece defense and dangerous turnovers by the defense in build-out are still not sorted. Now, I do think there were a decent number of substitutes in for Cincinnati’s corner kick goal, but that doesn’t really undercut the concern. Similarly, the Bearcats found some of their best scoring chances off of Baylor defensive turnovers. Some of that is just looking like who Baylor is this year, but if they can clean this up more, that would go a long way to easier wins.
► Noelle Sather has two goals in two games after returning from the U-20 Women’s World Cup. She has brought an extra touch of composure on the ball, forward dynamism and goal-scoring ability. Not that Baylor was lacking much in any of those things, but adding more is almost never a bad thing. Sather’s goal against Cincinnati was another display of her finishing ability, which frankly each of her three goals on the season has been. Three goals in 202 minutes across four games is quite the efficient stat line for the season so far.
► Olivia Hess had her first really good game in a while, in my opinion. She has rebounded really well from a tough outing against West Virginia and was picking apart the Cincinnati defense with her passing. The pair of assists she had weren’t the most classic of assists (one corner kick and one blocked shot that fell to Omholt), but she was a difference-maker for the Bears. Hopefully the sophomore can get on a roll here in conference play and just keep going. Also, if you don’t think her blocked shot was really “assist-worthy,” then the run she made right after that to open a window for Omholt to shoot was.
► More on Lauren Omholt’s winner: that was something new from the senior winger. She said herself that she typically just sticks to the wing and tries to get to the end line and either cross or turn the corner. This time she cut inside onto her right foot and did really well to get her shot back to the near post side of goal against her momentum. I really wasn’t sure if that was in Omholt’s bag, but it was great to see. One of the better goals this season, in my opinion.
► Does this team like having its back against the wall? When the Bears take the field against Kansas this Friday, it will have been a month since they played in a game that was decided by more than a one-goal margin (2-0 W at LSU on September 3rd). I guess they are getting good practice at protecting a one-goal lead since they are 4-0-1 in that stretch and had a lead for the majority of that time … but it’s also got to be tiring to not be able to really put teams away.
► Azul Alvarez took a pretty good hit from a Cincinnati attacker right before the second half hydration break. Looked like a shoulder to the chest. Baylor’s keeper was alright in the end, but her backups are unproven. In that moment, I was reminded of just how much a single injury can alter the trajectory of this team, perhaps nowhere more than at goalkeeper.
► Midfielder Taylor Evans played just 39 minutes on Sunday. She is averaging 61 minutes per game for the year, but has played 40 and 39 minutes in the two games since Sather returned. I’m curious if this will prove to be load management or if we will see Sather win the starting spot from Evans eventually. Both players are very high quality, and both will keep getting significant minutes. This is just something that caught my attention, and I want to continue monitoring.
► Callie Conrad and Kate Runyon both looked pretty dangerous against the Bearcats. Both helped generate good chances, including shots for themselves. Conrad came close to scoring off an Olivia Hess cross early in the second half, and Runyon had a shot go over the top of goal late in the first half. I don’t feel like either chance was wasted by the center forwards, so it was positive to see them in those positions to score.
► There’s a clinical-ness in front of goal that has been there in the key moments so far this year — the necessary moments — but not enough to put Baylor in the truly elite/national contender category. I think this. Goes back to what I was saying earlier about this team struggling to put games to bed. At the end of the day, wins are wins, but I’m sure that everyone in the locker room wants to score more and win bigger. The Bears are No. 9 in the IWSOC poll this week, and I’m not sure how much higher they can climb of their own accord. 1-0 and 2-1 wins will probably only help them climb higher when teams above them lose. Start mixing in 3-0 and 4-1 wins, and that might change. Think of NCAA seeding and hosting here.
► I’m curious how much of a target the Bears have on their backs right now inside the Big 12. Only Houston is 3-0-0, and they haven’t played any of the favorites yet. Meaning the Bears have the best record of the favorites (along with Tech, BYU and Kansas). With the conference still looking so wide open, I’m interested in how teams like Cincinnati, Kansas State or Arizona view their games against Baylor compared to games against other presumed title contenders. Are the Bears a team that others badly want to knock down a peg?
► Big 12 Check-In: The Bears are in a strong spot, making it through the first three games without a loss. Houston will be found out as real or fake in their next three games vs. WVU, at Arizona and at ASU. I’d like to say TCU’s second loss (2-0 at BYU) took them out of title contention, but never count your eggs before they hatch. Colorado has a tough stretch here, visiting UCF before hosting Baylor and Kansas. Plus, BYU visits West Virginia next Thursday. Over the next two game weeks (three games each), there will be a lot of things learned about the pecking order. All things considered, the Bears are in a decent spot both by record and upcoming schedule. Winning at Colorado next Thursday would be huge, but the focus has to be on Kansas first.
