The women’s soccer teams continued their successful start to the season with two home matches against MidAmerica Nazarene and Missouri Valley College. 

The Wildcats went through a long and grueling match against the visiting MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers. A double overtime thriller ended in a 2-2 draw for both clubs. 

The Wildcats and Pioneers went through a 110-minute match on Saturday at Liston Stadium that ended in a 2-2 (2OT) draw.  Baker had the early 6th-minute goal from sophomore forward, Anna Chieu. The Pioneers went on to score the next goals of the match to push the score to 2-1.

 As the Wildcats were reeling to keep their 3-game winning streak intact, Georgia Vernardakis had the answer. In the 79th minute, the defender found the back of the net to even the score. The match eventually went to two overtimes, but a winner still couldn’t be declared.   

Baker seemed to push the tempo for much of the evening against MNU. The Wildcats outpaced the Pioneers in shots (20-13) and in corner kicks (10-4). Even with the Baker pressure being ramped up, the Wildcats couldn’t find the back of the net to get the victory. The match ended after the 110th minute (2nd OT) in a 2-2 draw. The draw ended up resulting in the Wildcats falling to 2nd place in the Heart of America standings.

 On Tuesday, the Baker Wildcats were in action again against the Missouri Valley College Vikings. The Vikings came into the match with only one loss, putting them in the top four of the Heart of America conference standings. This showdown of two of the best-featured teams in the conference contained fireworks on only one side. The Baker Wildcats battled in a tough match, and found the back of the net, unlike their counterparts. 

Sophomore forward, Haleigh Harris, was able to find the back of the net twice in this match. Her ability to be in the right spot at the right time was instrumental in the Wildcats victory by a score of 2-0. Her first goal was off a rebound in the 27th minute to give Baker the lead at halftime. Right out of the half, Harris was able to connect off a corner kick set up. Harris’ teammate, Anna Chieu, was able to redirect the corner kick to Harris for her second goal. 

The Wildcats never looked back, thanks in part to a great defensive effort from Baker. Senior goalkeeper, Vanessa Silva, was able to secure her fifth shutout of the season. The Baker Wildcats defense has been a force this season with only 7 goals allowed in 9 matches. This puts them at third in the conference in goals allowed per game with an astounding 0.78 goals per match. 

The Baker Wildcats women’s soccer team will be in action this weekend on Saturday, October 24th at home against the Mount Mercy Mustangs. Both the men and women are slated for their original doubleheader format with the women’s game starting at approximately 5 p.m. and men’s at 7:30 p.m.