Bobcat Soccer falls to Baylor, looks ahead to conference play  

By: Eliana Nieto

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State Bobcats felt pressure from The Baylor Bears Sunday evening, losing 4-1 in their final night of non-conference play.  

 The match was defined by quick pace and speed right out the gate. The first half began with Goalie Azul Alvarez of the Bears responding to a goal attempt by Texas State midfielder Helen Alormenu with a swift block that revved up anticipation.  

 The Bobcats scored the first goal of the night when forward Lilah Dupree assisted defender Angela Gatto in completing an exceptional head tap that sent the ball into the net and the crowd roaring.  

 Hungry for a piece of the action, midfielder Aryanna Jimison of the Bears attempted a shot out left but couldn’t deliver. Shortly after, the Bears would redeem themselves in a goal made by forward Tyler Isgrig. 

 Defending the score, Bobcat goalie Brooklyn Escobar completed a crucial save at the net leaving the game tied 1-1 at the half. 

 The Bobcats lost some steam in the second half and eventually wouldn’t be able to catch up to the speed the Bears were fighting at.  

 The Bears opened up the half with forward Lauren Omholt assisting forward Tyler Isgrig in accomplishing her second goal of the night.  

 With some missed saves, fouls, and a yellow card on the Bobcats, the rest of the half would result in an aggressive Baylor team securing two more goals and defeating the Bobcats 4-1.  

 Texas State Soccer Head Coach Steve Holeman spoke about adjustments that needed to be made before conference play just shy of a week away. 

 “I think we just need to put it all together for 90 minutes, I think we need to be good on both sides of the ball,” Holeman said. “I think we can tweak some things in our attack, be a little more dangerous. But, I think we have to continue to play fast because we have played against some talented, athletic teams.” 

 In Coach Holeman’s overall assessment of the game, he acknowledged the skill level Baylor was playing at and applauded his team for the work they put in.  

 “They [Baylor] are certainly good and they deserve to win,” Holeman said. “Number one, their keeper is phenomenal, she made two of the best saves I’ve seen- and I’ve been coaching a long time. I think when they got that third goal, it just kind of changed the game. But, we continue to fight. We did some good stuff and I think we can take some positives out of this. We feel good about what we did in our non-conference, coming out of this with a winning record against a really tough schedule.”  

 Sunday evening’s loss against Baylor left the Bobcats 3-2-2 overall as they prepare to take on their conference schedule starting at the University of Louisiana Monroe on Saturday, Sept 13, 7 p.m., at Brown Stadium.