Wildcats Win Late-Night Clash with Bulldogs, 3-1

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Gyorgy Kamaras drew a first-half penalty that provided a pivotal swing in Baker's 3-1 victory over a tough McPherson team on Saturday night as the Wildcats won their second match in three days to start their 2023 campaign.

The Wildcats followed up their 13-goal performance from Thursday's season-opener with three goals against the Bulldogs, including Kamaras' penalty shot in the 37th minute which left the visitors playing with a man down for the rest of the match.

With the record-high temperatures in the area pushing kickoff back by a couple of hours, it didn't take long for the Baker offense to continue its sizzling start to the season. Ernesto Hernandez was on the receiving end of a costly turnover in the McPherson backline and quickly found teammate Axxel Chazaro-Lara for a slick one-two punch that gave BU a 1-0 lead just 90 seconds into the match.

The Wildcats have now scored within the opening six minutes of their first two matches this year after Hernandez delivered the first goal of 2023 in Thursday's win over Baptist Bible.

Finding themselves down early, the Bulldogs looked to mount a quick response and used a BU yellow card to their favor in the 17th minute. After being fouled on a breakaway, McPherson's Anthony Pereira took the free kick from the edge of the penalty box and had his shot ricochet off the left post and into the foot of a trailing Abdul Kanu who knocked in the equalizer.

With the score tied, the level of intensity and physicality increased for both clubs which culminated with Kamaras' penalty opportunity at the 36:19 mark. The BU forward was able to slip behind the Bulldogs defense and collect a pass sent forward by Falco Dijkhuis before being taken down in the box and earning both the penalty and man advantage out of the play. Kamaras converted on his second PK of the year with this one resulting as the game-winner and giving Baker a 2-1 lead before halftime.

Baker struck quickly in the second half as well with Hunter French supplying an insurance goal for the home side in the 51st minute after he was teed up by teammate Tony Salas. After ending up with the ball on the left side, Salas sent a pass that crossed through the front of the box untouched and French, a senior from Manhattan, Kan., was there to drive home his fourth goal of the season.

Playing with a man down and a two-goal deficit, McPherson was only able to get two shots off the rest of the way as Baker claimed its second straight victory.

The Wildcats fired off 19 shots in total, compared to just six shots by the Bulldogs and held a 10-4 advantage on corner kicks with five in each half. Kamaras tallied five shots in his 73 minutes of action with three of those coming on target and earning his fifth goal of the season.

Baker heads out for its first road trip of 2023 with a match at Northwestern Ohio set for Thursday, Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. (CT) in Lima, Ohio.

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