SOC Falls to Nebraska, 2-1

Thursday, August 26

7 PM

Baylor

1-2-0, 0-0-0

Nebraska

3-0-0, 0-0-0

Nebraska

Baylor

SOC Falls to Nebraska, 2-1

8/26/2021 10:16:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Box Score

Gabby Mueller scored the lone goal for Baylor, her first of the season

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Paul Jobson remembers all too well the Baylor-Nebraska battles in the Big 12 Conference, when the Bears pulled out a pair of one-goal victories and fought to a 1-1 double-overtime tie in their last years together in the same league.
            They might not be in the same conference anymore, but Thursday's game at Betty Lou Mays Field had a familiar feel to it.
            In a game that featured a combined 25 fouls and marred by three players leaving with injuries, the Cornhuskers' Olivia Brown scored a second-chance goal on a header from close range late in the first half to hand the Bears (1-2-0) a 2-1 loss in their home opener.
            "Oh yeah, that's Baylor-Nebraska back in the Big 12 days," Jobson said. "We were talking before the game, we love playing each other. We have similar styles in how we play and how we care for our payers. We always know it's going to be a hard-fought match. And it was, it was physical. But it wasn't dirty, it wasn't cheap, it was just a fun, hard soccer match."
            Baylor outshot Nebraska, 11-4, in the second period and finished with a 20-13 edge, but just weren't able to get the equalizer in the final minutes.
            "When we switched our point of attack, we gave ourselves some great opportunities," Jobson said. "I just thought we took too many probably long-range shots, just kind of hitting and hoping. It wasn't like the goalie was off her line. It was just like, 'Hey, here's a shot, I'm going to pull the trigger.' But, I do feel like we enough opportunities to win a game tonight."
            Off an assist from Abbey Schwartz, the Cornhuskers' Sarah Weber got through the Bears' backline and rifled a shot past Baylor goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt in a one-on-one situation. It was the first goal Baylor has allowed in a fall game on its home pitch since 2019.
            Already missing sophomore defender Chloe Japic with a leg injury, the Bears lost junior midfielder Maddie Algya just past the midway point in the first half, then freshman defender Katie Zimmerman went out with 16:25 left after a head-to-head collision with Nebraska's Haley Peterson.
            "We knew it was going to be a tough match," said Baylor goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt, who had five saves. "(The game) kind of showed us what we need to get better at and also showed us what we're capable of. I think it was a really good opponent to go against at the beginning of the season, so we can know what that was like."
            Wasting no time, Baylor answered just over three minutes later, when Gabby Mueller got one past goalkeeper Samantha Hauk into the left corner of the net off an assist from Mackenzie Anthony. It was the sophomore midfielder's first career goal and first this season against Hauk, the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week.
            "I was really just moving off the ball and looking for those tight spaces," Mueller said, "because I feel that's what I'm best in. Then, I saw my small spot and slid myself right in there."
            With the game seemingly headed into intermission tied at 1-1, the Cornhuskers' Brown scored the go-ahead goal out of a scrum just in front of the net as the officials ruled that the ball had crossed the goal line with only 1:05 left in the half.
            "Those are always tough when it's so close and kind of bobbling around," Wandt said. "We thought we had some momentum after our goal going into the second half, so it was a shame to let that one in. But, it's something we will learn from and a situation that we won't let happen again."
            Ratcheting up the attack in the second half, the Bears created several scoring chances, but Mueller and Ally Henderson-Ashkinos both sailed shots high over the goal and Elizabeth Kooiman had a shot bank off the left post.
            "I think we were frantic toward the end, so we were trying to go, go, go," Muller said, "when we should have probably stayed composed and probably found better opportunities."
            Including two exhibitions, Nebraska (3-0-0) had outscored its previous four opponents, 21-0. But even with a makeshift backline, the Bears held the Huskers to a season-low two goals.
            "When you have players go down, you're wondering who's going to step up," Jobson said. "Lorelai (Stamrood) is coming off some injuries in the offseason and slowly getting fitness back. I thought she did well in her moments, and (Sarah) Hornyak is a natural midfielder. We converted her to defense, so we knew that she could do it. I thought she did some good things for in the midfield."
            Baylor will host SMU (1-0-0) at 7 p.m. Sunday to wrap up its second weekend of the season. The Mustangs played only two games last year and opened this season with a 2-0 win over Northwestern State last Sunday.

HIGHLIGHTS

Gabby Mueller scored the lone goal for Baylor, her first of the season
Jennifer Wandt recorded five saves, equaling her total for the season heading into the game
Mackenzie Anthony registered her first assist of the season, setting up Mueller's goal

TOP QUOTE
"We had some good offensive play. We did some things really, really well, and we're going to build off of that. We're going to look at that tomorrow, and emphasize the things that we did well." – Baylor head coach Paul Jobson