HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State successfully defended its turf in the squad's home opener, sticking pat with the team goal of not losing at Pritchett Field in 2015, tying Baylor 1-1 in two overtimes behind the support of 339 raucous fans on Friday evening.
“I thought the players really competed hard,” eighth-year head coach Tom Brown said. “Baylor has a difficult style for us to play against and I think that's why it's good to get a game in like that. With the amount of pressure they put on, we were able to see who could handle that. You have to be pleased anytime you can get a tie against a team out of a power-five conference.”
While Baylor (0-4-1) kept the Bearkats (2-2-1) offense out of sync early, Sam Houston capitalized on their first shot of match when Mariah Titus secured a loose ball on a free kick and put it over the goalkeepers' head from inside the penalty box in the 28th minute.
The Titus netter was the second of the season by the senior midfielder. Titus logged both Sam Houston shots in the first half. In the opening 45, Baylor outshot the Kats 9-2.
“I thought she did a good job of getting in and taking what in some ways is a half chance,” Brown said. “A lot of players put that ball over the fence and into the houses or behind. She did a great job keeping it on frame. She's been one of our most consistent players over the first three weeks.”
The Bears' Marissa Sullivan provided the equalizer in the 42nd minute as Ashanti Carey put away a ball on a rebound, giving the freshman her first collegiate goal and send the squads into halftime all squared at one.
In the net, Sam Houston senior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton logged eight saves, upping her season total to 23 through four starts. Meanwhile, Baylor keeper Sara Martinson secured one save, matching her total through four games played.
“I thought she did a good job of making those reactions,” Brown said of Hambleton. “We'll continue to work on some of her anticipation. I thought she did a good job of being in there, making herself big and making the big save at the right time.”
In the 75th minutes, the Bears were unable to seize opportunities on consecutive corners with Hambleton logging saves on a pair of Lindsay Burns headers. The Bears had nine corner kicks to the Bearkats two, although neither team capitalized on the opportunities.
“They provided a lot of high pressure and physicality,” Hambleton said. “They're big kids and they had some weight and height on us but our team battled the entire team. We're fortunate to come out with a tie. We could have rather won but overall happy with the results.”
Five minutes into overtime, the Bears were inches away from ending the match, when Bri Campos sent in a corner to Burns who drilled it off the top post before it was cleared out. The Bears put another off the top post courtesy of a cross from Emory Cason with one minute left in the first overtime period.
“We were prepared for the long ball; that's just how Baylor plays,” Hambleton said. “I was proud of how are players went in for every header and were tracking their players. It was a very defensive game for us and we were on our heels and I'm happy the way our defense handled the pressure.”
Baylor had another up-close opportunity saved by Hambleton and put a header over the net in the second overtime. Sam Houston's Lindsey Bienski owned the Kats best chance in the second overtime, breaking away down the right flank before a pair of defenders eliminated any damage.
“Their athleticism helps prepare us for the conference because of the pressure they put on us,” senior Shelby McDaniel said. “It makes us stronger and helps us compete harder.”
Sam Houston hits the road against SMU next Friday at 7 p.m. and closes out non-conference play on Sunday at Prairie View A&M at 1 p.m. For the latest on Bearkat soccer, follow @SHSUSoccer on Twitter and visit GoBearkats.com.
