Wildcats Fall to No. 23 USAO in Non-Conference Finale

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – The Baker women's soccer team wrapped up its tough non-conference stretch with a 2-0 loss to No. 22 Science & Arts on Saturday evening at Hartley Field.

The Drovers scored a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes of play and stymied the Wildcats offense to post their third shutout of the season. USAO finished with a 22-5 advantage in the shot column with nine of those coming on target, including the two first-half goals.

Baker was able to create some chances throughout the match by earning seven corner kicks, but had its two best looks at goal get swallowed up by Drovers keeper Ashlyn Lonberg.

The Wildcats registered two of the game's first three shots with Emma Schieber firing off one in the early going and then Cate Nearmyer getting a great opportunity a few minutes later. Schieber timed Nearmyer's run perfectly with a well-placed ball that put the senior midfielder out in front, but her attempt was stopped on a foot-save by Lonberg

In the eighth minute, it was a USAO counter-attack that led to the game's opening goal with Daniela Salinas making it all the way deep into the BU box before finding a trailing Alicia Rey who finished off the play to put the Drovers up,1-0.

USAO would follow with its second score in the 20th minute, this one coming off a free kick at the far edge of the 18-yard box. Rey's swinging entry landed at the foot of teammate Laura Barrantes who knocked in the set-piece goal to make it a two-goal advantage for the visitors.

Nearmyer had her second shot towards goal come in the 64th minute after slicing a left-footed shot from the edge of the box that ended up in the hands of the USAO goalie. The Wildcats would go on to add a couple more corner-kick opportunities, including one in the final minutes of play that was cleared out to seal the 2-0 result.

Making her first start in goal, Jorja Martin held her own against a clinical USAO attack and recorded seven saves. She had six stops against (RV) Hastings after coming on for the injured Sophia Holloway in the first half.

After a non-conference slate that featured three games against top-25 opponents, Baker begins Heart of America play with a match against William Penn on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. in Baldwin City.

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